Harmony
by Silence-Speaker
Summary: Harry had thought of his vampirism as a sort of death. After all, his heart didn't beat; he was quite literally the walking dead. That was before he met Carlisle in Italy while he stayed with the Volturi. It didn't take Carlisle long to show him that even death could have its fair share of dawns, new beginnings. Carlisle/Harry SLASH.
1. Chapter 1

Harmony.

Basically this is Harry and Carlisle's story during Bella and Edward's four stories, Twilight, New moon, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn. Their main romance is in a shorter set of chapters separate to this story to be posted _soon_ in snippets. This story does not have M rated smut in (that's in the collection of snippets that show the beginnings of Harry and Carlisle's romance in Italy).

Harry in this story was born in 1780; nearly everything is the same as in the Harry Potter Books however. Apart from things like the Night Bus (buses weren't around then) and a few other things that will be explained think of it as mainly canon (just 200 years before) until explained otherwise.

Canon pairings apart from Carlisle/Harry.

This is Slash, male/male pairing.

I have completed this story and will post each chapter once I've finished editing it.

If you don't like it don't read it, I don't mind _constructive_ criticism that is helpful but I won't listen to ill-meaning comments.

Summary: Harry had thought of his vampirism as a sort of death. After all, his heart didn't beat; he was quite literally the walking dead. That was before he met Carlisle in Italy while he stayed with the Volturi. It didn't take Carlisle long to show him that even death could have its fair share of dawns, new beginnings. Carlisle/Harry SLASH.

* * *

Prologue:

(1/11)

It was the talk of Forks when the Cullen family moved into town.

The talk never really died down either. Not with such juicy topics like everyone in the families extremely good looks, the fact that there were five adopted teenagers, their aloofness and the fact that Carlisle Cullen and Harry Potter-Cullen were gay.

The nurses at the hospital where Carlisle worked often sighed wistfully and said all the good ones were gay. Carlisle found it quite amusing really, it was far better than the reactions that he had got years ago.

Harry Potter-Cullen and Carlisle Cullen had five adopted teenagers; there was Jasper and Rosalie Cullen and Alice, Edward and Emmett Potter. Apparently Alice, Edward and Emmett were Harry's niece and nephews respectfully.

All seven of them were stunningly beautiful with incredibly pale skin, honey coloured eyes and musical voices. Harry had vivid green eyes, he was the only one in the family who didn't have honey coloured eyes.

Alice, Jasper, Edward, Emmett and Rosalie all attended Forks High School, Carlisle was a doctor who worked in the hospital at Forks and Harry occasionally taught the History class at Forks High.

* * *

xxx

Harry smiled with contentment as his class filed out of the room, his lessons over for lunch.

From the rumours circulating it appeared that most in Forks believed Harry only worked part-time at Forks High, he did but he also taught history at Hogwarts. Of course that part was only known to his family and the wizarding world and he was a guest lecturer so it wasn't every day or even every week, due to the time difference it didn't coincide with his work in Forks.

The speculations running round at Hogwarts always made Harry laugh, it seemed finally after years of him not aging the students had worked out he was a vampire. He wondered when (if) they would ever realise he was Harry Potter...He no longer wore glasses or had a lightning bolt scar and his vampirism meant he looked different.

Harry was glad he had been born before cameras; it meant the wizarding world was slowly forgetting about The-Boy-Who-Lived. Too slowly for Harry's liking, it had been more than two centuries ago after all and it was weird teaching a class about himself but still, no wizard or witch alive knew him personally.

Harry noticed one of his students approaching his desk nervously. He was working in Forks today.

"Yes?" Harry asked softly his voice gentle and calm, just like always. It had frightened Harry at first, the changes to his body, the changes in general, even his voice had changed when he was turned!

The boy, this last class had been for those aged sixteen, fiddled with the straps of his rucksack apprehensively eyes flicking to the door and back. Harry smiled warmly to put the boy at ease.

"I don't bite." Harry said hiding his own private amusement at that particular comment; Harry had never properly drunk human blood, he stuck to animal. The boys lips barely twitched and Harry could feel his eyebrows furrow slightly in concern.

"Is everything alright?" Harry asked resisting the urge to move closer to the boy, Terry his name was, to soothe. Children in distress always did pluck Harry's heartstrings.

Terry sucked in a sharp breath and Harry ignored the ever constant burning in the back of his throat.

"It's just...you're the only one openly...what's it like being gay?" Terry blurted out flushing darkly. Harry bit down on his immediate retort 'what's it like being straight'. Harry tilted his head to one side thoughtfully.

"Emotions are emotions whether you are with a man or a woman, and sex is sex. It is people's preferences that make it different. I'm not quite sure how to answer your question." Harry responded slowly, frowning slightly.

Terry gave a ghost of a smile.

"How...how did you know you were um...gay?" Terry eventually asked. Harry chuckled and ignored Terry's slight daze at the melodious sound; he was far too used to humans reacting like that to him, or to any vampire really.

"When I was fourteen. Instead of appreciating the prettiest girls in my school I was admiring their boyfriends." Harry said making conscious effort to sound as though he had actually been born in the late 1900s instead of the late 1700s.

His eyes turned a little bleak at the remembrance. He could envisage how Cedric looked in the moments before he was murdered. His kindness and fairness. It had been a mere crush and he would probably barely remember the teenager now had not he been killed in front of him.

It was another of his oddities as a vampire that he remembered most if not all of his human life.

"How...how did your parents react?" Terry asked sounding a little more relaxed and a little surer of himself now.

"My parents died when I was one. My aunt and uncle however...were not very tolerant." Harry replied hesitantly at Terry's questioning look Harry continued.

"My uncle beat me bloody and locked me in a cupboard for days." Harry said in his usual relaxed tones. Of course it had been his uncle's suspicions, Vernon had never actually had proof or really known Harry liked men. But Vernon didn't like Harry at all and had only barely refrained from calling him a witch in public and having him hanged.

For the time and age Harry supposed his relatives had been remarkably tolerant. They didn't kill him after all or send him to the hangman's noose Harry rather believed it was because they didn't want their precious reputation ruined than any fondness for him himself. They didn't want to be known as the witch's family or the sodomites Aunt and Uncle.

Harry noticed Terry's appalled look and hastily tried to soothe the poor boy who now was probably worried about the reactions his parents would have if they found out he was gay.

"Don't worry; your parents wouldn't do anything like that." Harry reassured the boy. Terry shot Harry and incredulous look before smiling brightly.

"I know they won't. Thanks sir." Terry called as he walked out the room. Harry stared at where the boy had been baffled by his apparent random optimism as he had left.

He turned when an amused chuckle met his ears.

"Edward." Harry greeted smiling as he took in the sight of his 'adopted son'. "I didn't scare the poor lad did I?" Harry asked worriedly, he hoped the boy would be alright, although this wasn't the 1800s anymore.

"No, quite the opposite. You gave him the courage to tell his parents." Edward said shaking his head at his silly 'father'.

"How so?" Harry asked, he hadn't said anything particularly noteworthy; in fact his comments would be more likely to produce the opposite effect. Fear of exposure rather than courage, it hadn't been his intention but Harry did so despise lying.

"He realised that his parents wouldn't dream of doing something like what your uncle did to you, you gave him the worst case scenario and he realised it really wasn't feasible in his situation." Edward explained.

Harry shook his head in bewilderment gathering up his folders. It seemed his 'children' would be giving him a lift home today.

"To be fair though, I got off lightly. I wasn't hung drawn and quartered." Harry commented ignoring the usual stares he and Edward got walking down the corridors together.

"Yes. Today however violence is frowned upon." Edward responded trying in vain to block out the various thoughts and fantasies that involved him or his family from the surrounding humans.

Harry laughed and heads turned at the musical sound.

Edward smiled fondly at Harry. For a vampire his father was rather cheery and bubbly, not the same kind of exuberant cheer Alice sometimes indulged in and Edward knew he wasn't the only one in their mismatched family that basked in the warmth of Harry's emotions.

There was something pure about Harry's thoughts, something wholesome that was rare. Edward knew Jasper relaxed when around Harry for Harry's pleasant emotions.

The best thing was that Harry was utterly unfeigned in everything and it was soothing for Jasper and Edward especially.


	2. Chapter 2

Warnings: Hints (much like the twilight books that never actually outright says it) of disturbing themes, like rape, abuse...nasties. It doesn't go into detail and is more hinted at than said, again about as informative as Rosalie's story.

* * *

Chapter 2:

(2/11)

1798:

Harry looked around the desolation that surrounded Hogwarts once inviting grounds. There was rubble and hints of the battle recently fought littering the area.

Harry rubbed the tops of his arms the coolness of the biting wind seeking all the gaps and holes in his clothing. His doublet and robes were a lost cause so he stood in just a battered and stained ruffled once white shirt and his pantaloons, his cravat had long disappeared ignoring propriety for the time being, it was inconsequential to worry about something so trifling after the devastating battle.

It had been a long year, searching for and destroying all of Voldemort's Horcruxes and ensuring the knowledge of how to make them was destroyed and then battling and defeating the man himself.

Harry was just glad for his two best friends, Ron and Hermione. It wasn't strictly protocol for the engaged couple to traverse around England and Scotland but Harry could count as a chaperone, he would if they were shunned by society for it.

Never had Harry been more relieved when he had found out that the wizarding world didn't discriminate between same gender couples. Unlike the Muggle world it was not against the law for two wizards or two witches to have a relationship but it was expected that an heir had to be produced. So while two men or two women couldn't marry, they were not forbidden from affaires.

If you were found out to like the same gender in the muggle world than a hangman's noose was your doom.

Harry had found wizarding tolerance for this confusing considering their intolerance for many things; the magical world was a little skewed on logic though.

The only real prejudice found in the magical world was blood purity, that and a few magical creatures weren't given equal rights, like goblins and house elves.

Harry had spent his school years being shunned by the purebloods for having a muggleborn mother and shunned by the muggleborns for having a pureblood father, it was stupid. He had never even known his parents yet how he was treated was based on their blood lines.

There weren't many people who overcame the blood purity issues. Ron, a pureblood, and Hermione, a muggleborn, were two; the entire Weasley family in fact was scorned for their acceptance of muggleborns.

Harry sighed, breath misting in the frigid air.

Blood purity hadn't mattered in the Battle yesterday as people fought against Voldemort for freedom, for their families. Hopefully it would help towards tolerance for all, halfbloods, muggleborns and purebloods. Harry wasn't holding his breath though.

Harry was at a loss what to do now Voldemort had been defeated.

He supposed he could plan for Hermione and Ron's wedding, he wasn't going to take no for an answer, he was going to give them a properly expensive honeymoon as a present and pay for their wedding no expense spared.

A smile curved Harry's lips as he stood alone on the steps of Hogwarts envisioning his friend's future happiness.

He barely noticed as Luna joined him with a quiet rustle of her torn and dirty skirts watching the sunrise over the forest. Harry did notice however when Hermione appeared and dragged them inside to the warmth and for a bite to eat.

It was only then that Harry realised how hungry he was and that his feet were bare.

* * *

xxx

Harry smiled at Severus over the top of his goblet full of rich imported wine.

Severus rolled his eyes at Harry but his dark eyes were warm. Severus had been noticeably different once the war was over. Harry didn't doubt that being a spy and tricking Voldemort was incredibly taxing, he was just glad Severus could now relax.

After the battle and after Harry had found out Severus had survived he had sought the man out, to return the memories Severus had given him to show him that he was the last Horcrux and for the long overdue apology for looking in the mans pensieve years ago.

Harry had visited Severus after that, ignoring the barbed comments sent his way. Severus may have been more relaxed now the war was ended but he was still Severus Snape and he knew what comments hit home.

And slowly Severus started to enjoy the visits.

Or at least tolerate them; his biting sarcasm seemed less...intensive and more for amusement than to deliberately pour salt on wounds.

Both men were dressed to the nines much like many of the other people that circled round this rather extensive party.

Harry had a distaste for such frivolous displays of wealth but he had to attend as did Severus apparently. Harry fiddled with the edges of his long green coat with absent motions of his thin fingers.

"I have heard some interesting rumours circulating." Severus stated in his silky voiced drawl. Harry could spend hours just listening to the man for his voice alone.

"Severus Snape, listening to the gossips now are we?" Harry teased lightly. Severus rose an eyebrow with feigned disinterest leaning in slight closer on the chaise longue they shared in the corner of the ball room.

"The whispers ruminating over your life are particularly irrepressible and rather arduous to quell." Severus sniffed in mild contempt. Harry knew the man had put many in detention for gossiping, Severus despised it.

"I'm flattered you care." Harry gushed batting his eye lashes hand held over his heart. Severus snorted at Harry's dramatics before his face turned serious and his voice when he spoke was barely audible.

"There are rumours about your new beau, rumours of a dark nature and ones I am disinclined to ignore." Severus warned Harry eyes dark. Harry swallowed but quickly regained his smile.

"See this proves that you, Severus Snape, don't despise me! You do care about little old me. I can take care of myself, Severus, but I do appreciate your concern." Harry finished in serious tones his mood going from teasing to sombre so quickly Severus blinked. Severus's lip curled.

"It is hardly concern, brat." Severus sniffed turning his attention to the wine in his hand. Harry stifled a fond smile as he dismissed Severus's words, Theodore was perfectly nice and his wife didn't mind him conducting affaires on the side as long as she was allowed her own affaires since a son and heir had already been born.

* * *

xxx

Harry came too, slowly and with deep reluctance springing from the various aches and pains that flared through his body.

Why did he feel so thoroughly beaten?

Harry nearly groaned aloud as his memories swamped him and he realised why he felt so broken. His heart literally stung with the betrayal along with the bruises and marks that littered his body.

Theodore and Harry had had a quiet courtship, away from the limelight, sharing meals and occasionally a bed. And Harry had felt...cherished, loved even. Harry had had fun with Theodore.

Until the night before had shattered any illusions Harry held about Theodore's regard for him. But how could Theodore do something like that? To him? To anyone?

He should have listened to Severus all those nights ago at the party where he had warned Harry about Theodore.

Harry regretted so lightly dismissing Severus's concerns.

Harry slowly tried to sit up in the comfortable bed he was laid upon. Harry's jaw locked as he resisted the urge to whimper or hiss in pain.

He ached everywhere.

Sitting up was worse than lying down so Harry returned to a prone posture. Harry ached deep inside and his tender flesh seemed to throb even as he stayed still so as not to aggravate the injuries. He couldn't find a position that didn't make at least some bruises throb.

Apparently Ron had found him lying in the entrance of Harry's house bleeding and bruised unconscious on the floor and brought him straight to Severus. Severus wasn't technically a healer but he had enough medical knowledge and knowledge of his potions to help in this case.

Harry had trusted Theodore which meant the other man had easily gotten the jump on him, Severus always did complain that Harry was too kind, too naive, too trusting in people.

Being constrained by magical ties and disarmed, helpless to Theodore's whims and fancy had almost scared Harry more than what Theodore actually did.

When Theodore had finally finished and left the room Harry had spent an hour or two fighting the blackness at the corners of his vision and ignoring the searing agony flooding him while he struggled to get free. Harry thanked Merlin that Theodore had left Harry's wand in the room sure Harry couldn't escape, it was a flaw on Theodore's part. Harry had apparated away from the stained bed, to the front doorstep of his house (he couldn't apparate into the house because of the wards) and that was where Ron had found him after he had lost the struggle with consciousness.

xxx

1802:

Harry smiled at Severus's exasperation.

He didn't like attending the social parties either but it was sort of necessary and seen as rude if they declined, especially since this party was for the Hogwarts battle attendees. Severus couldn't care less if he was seen as rude but Harry dragged him along to these soirees anyway. Harry avoided any party he knew Theodore would attend despite the impoliteness of not attending.

Harry was in such a good mood Severus hadn't been able to deny the brat.

Harry grinned brightly, he had spent the day with his godson, little Teddy who was nearly five now. Teddy was such a sweet cheeky child, Harry was glad the boy had Andromeda (Teddy's grandmother) to look after him despite Remus and Tonk's deaths.

Harry watched the milling crowd of men and woman dancing in the middle of the room to lively tunes and he let the chatter and music surround him, the pleasant buzz of noise soothing in an odd way.

His eyes snapped open when the screams started.

Harry could never really remember clearly what happened next.

One moment he was semi enjoying a party the next there were blurs of motion, pale men and women with red eyes and blood streaming from broken bodies.

Harry and a few others snapped into motion wands out and spells flying attempting to subdue the group of five vampires that had entered the party uninvited and begun killing anyone they could get their hands on.

By the time the authorities arrived half of the people attending the party were dead and many others injured. It was an immense amount of damage caused by only five vampires and that just testified to the vampires impossible speed and unmatched strength. If they were muggles none of them would have survived.

Harry could recall in perfect clarity the burning agony that seared through his veins from the single vicious bite on his shoulder. Harry tried to keep quiet but it wasn't long before he screamed.

Harry didn't scream for long, it did no good to scream. Instead he lay still while the fire flowed through his blood burning him from inside out. Time ebbed and flowed at varying speeds. It felt like an eternity when the pain impossibly increased and Harry thought his heart would jump out of his chest it was thumping so fast and furious.

Then suddenly, silence.

It took Harry a startled second to realise the pain had stopped, utter relief from the respite from pain filled him and Harry spent minutes simply relishing in the bliss that was no pain.

He could hear buzzing, what sounded like voices murmuring but too far away to catch. The room he was in was silent.

Harry opened his eyes.

He could see _everything_.

Harry breathed in, the action didn't feel the same as usual, there was no burning desire for air making it mandatory to breath. Harry liked the normality of that simple action so he continued to breathe in and out evenly even if he technically didn't need to.

There was a burning dryness to his throat that no amount of swallowing quenched...and the smell...

There were mouth watering scents coming from nearby. Harry stood up wanting, no needing, to get closer to that scent, that scent that would quench the fire burning in his throat.

The fluidity of his movement snapped him back into reality and Harry stilled in shock looking down at his hands and the clean clothes he could not remember wearing before.

His hands were...so pale, Harry had always been pale but this was...And his movements, Harry had never really been graceful nor had he been clumsy but now...he was fluid, so graceful a mere movement to stand up looked like the beginnings of a dance.

"Hello?" Harry called out hesitantly, he stilled in shock at his voice, so melodious, mesmerising almost. He heard the quiet buzzing murmurs halt at his call.

Harry waited muscles locked as he ignored the conclusions his mind thought up.

Slowly the door opened and wand first a familiar man entered the room looking at Harry with visible fear. Harry stayed rooted to the spot as the delicious scent, intoxicating, filled the room emanating from the man before him. Harry could imagine in glorious detail stepping forward and drinking, basking in the warm blood hidden beneath a pitifully thin membrane. It would take little to no effort, just stepping forward with his fluid grace and gently snapping that thin neck to get to the deliciousness Harry could sense below the thin skin.

"...Harry?" The man questioned voice trembling slightly. At the sound of his name Harry snapped out of the vivid imaginings of killing the man before him. Harry stepped back almost too fast for even himself to see clearly wincing at the flinch the man gave out at his sudden movement.

"Neville...don't come closer." Harry eventually forced out of his throat with the little air that remained in his lungs. He made conscious effort not to breathe in otherwise the intoxicating scent of Neville's blood would undo him.

Neville's face showed unexpected relief at Harry's words although he didn't lower his wand. Harry mentally nodded at that, Neville was right to be cautious still.

"I knew you would gain control of yourself quickly. You were the first to stop screaming as well. Three days of agony and I already know you're fine." Neville muttered to himself a small grin playing across his lips.

Harry sent Neville a questioning look not daring to breathe in enough air to speak, he could recall all too well the tantalising scent of Neville's blood, he could almost taste it...

Neville knew Harry well enough to answer the unspoken question.

"Right well, five vampires crashed the party and cause havoc. They killed nearly half the room before people started reacting. Luckily three of the vampires were too overwhelmed by blood lust to even think to dodge the spells sent their way. Unfortunately two of the vampires were not so easily distracted from their goal and bit a fair few people, you included.

While the aurors were rounding up the dead, after all the vampires had been subdued, Luna told me and Ginny to round up those bitten and to take them away so you weren't all killed by the authorities before you were even turned.

I apparated you and some others out while Ginny and Luna also brought the rest of the others bitten. Only a quarter of that party of people escaped death or vampirism." Neville explained in his soft gentle voice.

Harry listened to Neville in eerie stillness. He felt no need to move, no urge to fidget or even blink.

"Anyway, I managed to find some books, sorry I had to sort of take a few from your library...and found out that newborn vampires are typically unstable, incredibly strong and near constantly overwhelmed with blood lust. You're the only one so far who has managed not to try and drain me." Neville commented with a tired but cheery grin.

He set an odd coloured potion on the floor.

"The room is soundproofed from inside but you might be able to hear a bit seeing as your hearing is much better than before. Drink this potion; it should help you control your bloodlust until you can hunt. Luna says you should be able to drink animal blood, apparently she's heard about a vampire who lives off of animals only." Neville explained before leaving the room and presumably casting numerous spells on the door to keep Harry in.

Harry, still not daring to breathe, picked up the potions vial and downed it in one.

He barely noticed the vial falling from his fingers and shattering into hundreds of tiny shards as a sudden thought hit him, with the force of an anvil striking a forge.

He, Harry James Potter, was a vampire.

* * *

xxx

Vampires were different to humans in various ways Harry had never even considered before.

For one, the emotional ties that had linked them when human were...not so strong as a vampire and for another, well, most of the vampires turned at the party and rescued by Neville, Luna and Ginny didn't seem to mind drinking blood from humans, killing people with frequency for food.

Harry had a suspicion that if it hadn't been for Teddy he too wouldn't see much of a problem with killing and drinking from humans.

Whenever Harry even thought of drinking from a human, killing them for his own satisfaction, his mind instinctively flashed to Teddy and he felt sick at the thought he could drain anyone. Because everyone had a mother or a father or a sister or a brother or a friend or someone they cared about and who cared for them.

How could he take away someone when it would essentially be him taking a 'Teddy' away from them?

Hermione and Severus also were deeply against taking a human life for food, Ron also only drank animal blood but whether that was because of his own morals or Hermione's nagging Harry was uncertain.

The others seemed happy drinking from humans, muggles.

Slowly Severus, Hermione and Ron's eyes lost the eerie red colour and turned a mesmerising topaz colour. Inexplicably Harry's eyes lost the red and became the vibrant green he had sported before being turned. Severus reasoned it was because of the Killing curse, Harry's eyes were brighter than Lily's had been and were the exact colour of the deadly curse.

They had to leave the wizarding world, wizards and witches alike clamoured for vampire blood after the massacre at the party.

And so for a while Hermione, Ron, Severus and Harry split apart, going their own separate ways. (Ron and Hermione together, of course.)

Harry found himself travelling round Europe, learning other languages and taking night courses to learn muggle subjects he had never even heard of before. He hid during the day when the sun was up; sparkling in broad daylight was not a good plan.

It was harder to go hunting in the cities he visited but Harry managed well enough as he attempted to perfect his control.

It was not easy to ignore his bloodlust and while Harry hadn't slipped up yet there were a few near misses, mainly when someone had cut themselves and so the blood was like a sirens call.

Occasionally too there were people whose scent was divine, it smelt just as intoxicating as when there was fresh human blood spilt in front of Harry only the blood was still contained by the thin membrane called skin.

It was only a few years before Harry met with the Volturi.

Aro seemed curious about Harry, curious over his green eyes and determination to survive on the far less satisfying animal blood.

Harry took care to keep the fact he could still do some magic hidden from the Volturi leaders, he did not want to be recruited or seen as a threat. It all came to naught though, when Aro touching his hand with odd gentleness saw his thoughts, rifled through his mind like it was a book Severus had claimed the mind wasn't.

Aro wasn't surprised; he had been around for long enough to know much about the wizarding world. He was slightly shocked that Harry could still do magic, some not much, as most wizards and witches couldn't after being turned.

Severus and Harry had retained more than the usual amounts of magic as a vampire but whether that was because they were more magically powerful as humans than most others turned or not was yet to be proved.

Aro then introduced Harry to another vampire, one who also had never tasted human blood, a vampire who was staying with the Volturi for a while, a blond haired vampire named Carlisle Cullen.

Harry was immediately intrigued by the vampire doctor, so compassionate in his dealings with humans.

Harry spent many hours, days, weeks, months even with Carlisle, talking together discussing various things that came to mind.

Harry genuinely liked some of the Volturi guard despite their different opinions. They could never quite understand how or why Harry chose not to drink from humans and Harry couldn't fathom drinking human blood himself.

It was during one of the times where Carlisle and Harry were sitting in silence in the massive library that Aro 'tested' them.

Aro had a freshly dead body, bleeding slightly, placed outside the library doors which were open as usual. He had also ordered all other vampires away so they wouldn't fight for the freshly dead body and the blood.

Harry stiffened as the tempting scent hit him and he placed the book he was reading down onto the table picking up a quill, bottle of ink and some parchment and beginning to sketch all the while forcing himself not to jump over to the body, still warm, and drink. Carlisle didn't even seem much bothered by the scent and Harry envied him his control.

A little part of Harry cursed Aro for the test. Aro was just doing it out of curiosity but it still rankled Harry.

It was like holding a bottle of the finest cognac in front of a recovering alcoholic and telling them it was all theirs. Only much more potent. Or the latest fix of opium to an addict.

Harry could feel Carlisle watching him curiously. Not many vampires could withstand the siren call of fresh blood.

Harry just continued with his sketch, drawing the lines and planes he had memorised years ago.

Harry looked at the finished sketch sadly, longingly, as he gently smoothed a finger over the dried ink. He had nearly completely forgotten the blood just mere metres away from him in lieu of the small sketch.

Carlisle looked at the picture curiously.

"Who is he?" The blond haired vampire asked quizzically. Harry gently smoothed a finger over the curved cheek of the picture he had drawn.

"He was my godson, my Teddy." Harry barely spoke, far too quiet for a human to hear but Carlisle wasn't a human. He turned compassionate eyes to Harry's desolate face.

"Was?" Carlisle questioned gently.

"I did not see him once I was turned. The last time I saw him was mere hours before I was bitten. He would have been an adult by now...I could not risk harming him but by the time I had controlled my blood lust enough to be relatively safe to see him I found out he had died of sickness." Harry explained painfully.

He leaned into the comforting embrace Carlisle offered, it had been a while (many years) since someone had comforted him and the embrace was appreciated greatly.

Carlisle didn't move away even as Harry lost himself in memories of his little godson.


	3. Chapter 3

Apologies for the short chapter...It's the shortest one apart from chapter 1.

* * *

Chapter 3:

(3/11)

Carlisle found the Volturi very interesting; rules were needed if vampires were to remain hidden from humans and the Volturi were needed to enforce these rules.

They were also some of the first vampires Carlisle had found that had a permanent place of residence and they were more...civilised than the vampires Carlisle had previously ran into.

The library at Volterra was awe inspiring.

In turn Aro, Marcus and Caius seemed to find him curious as well. They were endlessly fascinated (and a little repulsed) by Carlisle's unique choice to abstain from human blood. They had tried to convert him many times to a diet of human blood.

He spent some years learning, reading and getting up to date on various medical and scientific inventions. He did like Italy; it was pleasant in a different way to England.

Vampires came and went in Volterra, some of the guards sent on missions and sometimes new vampires came seeking instruction or how to join the guard or even out of curiosity, so it wasn't odd when a new vampire arrived.

The new vampire that arrived two years into Carlisle's stay, however, was unusual.

Carlisle spent most of his time in the library so he hadn't seen the new guest yet, all he knew was that the vampire had green eyes, a curiosity, but then Carlisle had been odd because his own eyes weren't blood red but topaz.

Carlisle had begun to despair of ever meeting another vampire that shared his respect for human life. He hadn't yet met a vampire who thought of humans as anything other than a convenient food source.

When Aro sent someone to ask for his attendance Carlisle had just calmly put his books away and answered the summons, it wasn't the first time Aro had called on him for a chat or intellectual debate.

He hadn't been expecting the new vampire to visit Volterra to be there.

The vampire had the chalk white skin characteristic of a vampire and it contrasted with his pitch black hair and vibrant green eyes. The vampire was neither tall nor short; he was thin, slender almost. Carlisle nearly halted his steps ensnared by the soulful green eyes.

Aro turned a benign smile upon his papery like skin.

"Ah, Carlisle, this is Harry, he seems to share your ideals about humans." Aro stated without inflection. "I am sure you will find much to speak of." Aro said dismissing himself from the small room, near the large main meeting room.

Carlisle sent a quizzical smile in the vampire, Harry's, direction. Harry smiled tentatively in return.

"I am told you drink from animals only also?" Harry broke the silence, his voice a melodious soothing sound. Carlisle forgot to blink, surprised.

"Indeed, I did not know others also chose to drink from animals." Carlisle responded a warm smile flitting across his face.

"Neither did I. I thought it was only me and four of my friends who choose not to take life needlessly although my friend Luna did mention she got the idea of drinking animal blood from rumours of a vampire living on it." Harry spoke shocking Carlisle further.

"Your friends, they also don't drink human blood?" Carlisle asked eyes slightly widened in surprise. Harry nodded.

"I am not sure whether one of them abstains from humans because he just doesn't want his wife to nag him about morals but he doesn't drain humans." Harry commented with a fleeting smile of amusement.

"May I ask why you all chose a 'vegetarian' lifestyle?" Carlisle asked politely not sure if he was overstepping his bounds, it appeared not as Harry smiled.

"You may." Harry answered an amused grin on his face while his eyes danced. Carlisle didn't bother restraining his own slightly amused smile.

"Then why did you all choose to drink animal blood?" Carlisle questioned.

"Me, Severus, Luna, Hermione and Ron believe human life to be too valuable." Harry responded simply, that was the main reason but Harry's own personal reason was a little different, slightly more complex and everything to do with his godson.

"Are you really a doctor?" Harry asked curiously. Carlisle smiled at the innocent question, it wasn't meant rudely, Harry just wondered how Carlisle could stand the scent of blood at such close proximity.

"Yes. It was hard to begin with but I gradually managed to desensitise to the scent of human blood. It only bothers me a little now. It did take me more than a hundred years of trying." Carlisle said gently. Harry nodded in thought.

"I find it still difficult to resist freshly spilt human blood and I thought it would always be so since I have been a vampire for twenty years or so." Harry said his thoughts spinning in different directions.

He and Severus had never yet tasted human blood, Harry thought Severus much too stubborn to even slip off the bandwagon.

"Have you ever tasted human blood?" Harry asked thoughts still percolating at the negative shake of Carlisle's head Harry nodded to himself as if confirming a theory.

"It is probably easier to live this way of life without having tasted human blood. I haven't and neither has Severus but my three other friends find this way of life a little more challenging and I wondered if it could be partly because they had tasted human blood once before." Harry speculated thoughtfully.

Carlisle listened, Harry's idea had merit.

"So, why do you abstain from taking human lives?" Harry asked snapping his attention back to Carlisle.

Carlisle described snippets of his life to Harry who was listening avidly, occasionally interjecting with a curious question.

* * *

xxx

Carlisle found Harry very good company, they even shared a hunt companionably.

Harry had also shared stories of his life, the massacre where he and his friends had been turned. Carlisle was surprised Harry had managed (attempted) not to rip his friend Neville's throat out when he was freshly turned.

Harry in turn was surprised by Carlisle managing to drag himself off and hide then remain silent when he was first bitten.

Harry thought getting bitten hurt nearly as much as the cruciatus curse, the only reason he didn't say it was just as painful was because after too much exposure to the cruciatus curse people went insane. So he was surprised (and slightly in awe of) Carlisle's strength of will.

Carlisle (to his own surprise) told Harry about the witch/vampire/devil hunts he had led and he spoke of his father.

Harry explained about the magical world to Carlisle and his own life, he even spoke dryly of his uncle Vernon and Theodore, he hadn't spoken of them in, well...ever. So he found himself somewhat surprised and perplexed he was confiding in Carlisle so soon into their acquaintance.

Carlisle found the magical world fascinating although he was sorry to hear of Harry's own negative experiences through life. He also would like to meet Severus and Harry's other friends one day.

* * *

xxx

Carlisle barely twitched when Aro dropped a fresh corpse bleeding slightly in the entrance of the library. The scent slightly bothered Carlisle, he could sense it and it smelt appealing but it didn't burn his throat quite like it did when he was first around spilt blood.

He watched Harry utterly fascinated.

The blood barely bothered Carlisle now but it seemed to affect Harry greatly. Harry had tensed and was now sketching something with harsh jerks and lines of the quill.

Carlisle studied Harry noting the melancholy look in his eyes even as he sketched and the slow relaxation of tensed muscles.

The hand that Harry had gripped the table with relaxed and Carlisle noted the now broken table. The piece Harry had held tightly enough to crush fell to dust and there was just an uneven gap where Harry's fist had clenched through the stone.

He eyed the drawing of a young boy, a sunny smile on the boys face. Well that explained Harry's despair. It also seemed that Harry used the memories of his godson as a way of trumping the bloodlust.

Carlisle mulled over this even as he offered solace in an embrace. It seemed Harry was a rather emotional person, he felt things deeply, deep enough to triumph over vampire nature which was naturally rather cold.

Carlisle rather liked the hug, having Harry in his arms, if only the cause wasn't grief.

It did not take Carlisle or Harry long to start a more romantic relationship.

They stayed with the Volturi for a couple of years more before leaving to travel around the world.


	4. Chapter 4

I forgot to put a disclaimer in the first chapter...oops.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Harry Potter series or the Twilight series and certainly none of the characters.

* * *

Chapter 4:

(4/11)

Harry tracked down Severus and introduced him to Carlisle.

Severus, predictably, had sneered and sent cutting remarks their way.

He seemed happy though, in his solitude (he appeared pleased by their visit however) inventing and perfecting potions to his heart's content and studying magic. Severus, like Harry, still retained the ability to harness some magic and Severus explored this with undying curiosity.

Just before they left, after a month's visit, Severus had pulled Harry close and spoken to him quietly, he had no doubt Carlisle could hear him speak too.

"He is far better for you than that scum Theodore. You chose well this time."

Carlisle had been surprised by this approval from a man who had done nothing but sneered at him and sent insults his way.

He had been shocked when Harry explained that that was mild for Severus.

Carlisle and Ron and Hermione seemed to get on well as well, both Ron and Hermione appreciated the visit. They didn't see each other as often as they would like; because they didn't age and had eternity stretching on before them time drifted in a different way than it had when they were human.

Harry rather suspected that it would be him having to track down Severus, Ron and Hermione if he wanted to visit than the other way around. He didn't mind.

Luna was different, like always. She suddenly popped up one day entering their house like she lived there and chatted to Harry as though they hadn't seen each other for an hour or two not nearly twenty years. She looked Carlisle up and down then leered at Harry winking in amusement. She was her own person and utterly unapologetic for it. Harry found it refreshing even though he found some of Luna's comments occasionally painfully blunt.

Carlisle liked Luna, although a bit odd and more mythical than any vampire Carlisle had met before, she was nice.

* * *

xxx

Harry and Carlisle travelled around eventually ending up in America. They pretended to be cousins or brothers wherever they went. People generally fell for it because although Harry and Carlisle looked nothing alike, completely different bone structure, facial features etc, they both were extraordinarily pale, both moved with an inhuman grace, both had slight British accents and both were impossibly beautiful.

They settled in Chicago for a while, Harry didn't like the city so much but it would only be for a few years at most and Carlisle found work he preferred in the city. Carlisle worked nightshifts while Harry taught night classes; they stayed inside their house during the day to avoid sunlight. They didn't mind hiding in daylight anymore now they could spend it together if they wished, it was far less lonely with a companion even if they were doing their own things.

Just the thought that they had someone there, who if they wanted would just be there and do nothing with them, just idle by the fire if they so wished was a warming thought.

It was September of 1918, when the Spanish Influenza hit the city. It was also when Carlisle came home early one morning with the dying body of a seventeen year old young man, named Edward Masen.

Harry had been surprised by Carlisle, he hadn't imagined Carlisle would want to turn another person, but Harry didn't protest, he didn't even want to protest when he pictured all the possibilities Edward would now have before him. Carlisle bit Edward (they had learnt all it took to turn someone was a single bite, the Volturi and their own experiences had told them this was enough venom) telling Harry how Edward's mother had pleaded with him to save her sons life.

Carlisle and Harry stayed by Edward's side during the turning. Carlisle winced every time Edward let out a scream and Harry's grip on Carlisle's other hand tightened each time.

They left Chicago after that, it was not a good idea to have a newborn vampire in a well populated area.

Harry adored Edward, Edward appeared to return the feeling both for him and Carlisle (Carlisle of course treated Edward like he was his own flesh and blood son).

They soon learnt about Edward's gift when Edward answered questions Carlisle and Harry hadn't spoken aloud. Edward could hear thoughts, he could focus on individuals but most of the time it was a background buzz from everyone around. Surprisingly Harry's mind was a little harder to hear than most; Edward had to really concentrate to hear his thoughts. And sometimes for no explicable reason Edward couldn't hear any thoughts from Harry.

It was barely ten years later that Harry realised Edward was feeling slightly resentful for their 'vegetarian' lifestyle. It didn't help that Carlisle was so understanding whenever Edward slipped up (rare and only in the first three years). Harry thought it was best Carlisle was so understanding but he could see why that might infuriate and shame Edward at the same time.

Harry also thought his own conclusions didn't help much, and he was sure Edward had heard them from the pinched look to Edward's mouth.

It didn't surprise either Carlisle or Harry when Edward decided to leave for a while and try living off of human blood.

It didn't stop it from hurting. Harry was subdued for a few weeks/months, remembering his godson's untimely death and missing Edward. Carlisle tried to cheer him up, saying that Edward would return but he too missed his adopted son. They had worked as a group of three, and their personalities didn't clash so it was pleasant to talk to someone else. Even Carlisle and Harry occasionally got a bit antsy with only each other to talk to (properly talk, like you do with close friends and family) for long periods of time.

Edward went vigilante, only drinking from rapists, murderers. He hunted down the rapists especially, he hated that one of his adopted father's, Harry, had suffered from one such monster.

Edward returned in 1931, a mere four years after he had left, slightly repentant and feeling guilty for the deaths he had caused even if he only targeted the lowest of the low.

Edward looked even guiltier when Harry ran to him with a wordless cry holding him tight and not letting go. Carlisle wrapped his arms around them both revelling in the feel of holding his family, whole once more.

It was almost painful the fact he was accepted back instantaneously and without reprimand.

Neither Harry nor Carlisle held it against Edward but Edward winced every time memories of the four years without him surfaced. Carlisle had seemed tired in them and Harry looked ever so slightly defeated, grief clouding his eyes.

* * *

xxx

Like with Edward, Carlisle returned home one day in 1933 in New York clutching the barely alive form of Rosalie Hale, a young woman known for her beauty and engaged to Royce King.

Harry didn't object to Carlisle turning her (that was Edward) but he did rebuke Carlisle for matchmaking.

Carlisle soon learnt that Edward and Rosalie would fall in love after hell had frozen over and pigs went flying. (Not even then.)

Rosalie was resentful of her new life; she had wanted to die as she lay there on the streets assaulted by her fiancé and his friends.

It also seemed Edward and Rosalie would/could not get on and Rosalie harboured slight resentment towards Carlisle for turning her.

Rosalie was closest to Harry, she told him of her acute desire for a family, something she couldn't have now, while Harry told her of his godson.

Edward avoided them for their melancholy thoughts when they talked but both Rosalie and Harry found some solace in talking to each other.

It was when Emmett was turned that Rosalie finally seemed to get better. She was never quite as happy as she had been while human though.

* * *

xxx

Rosalie found Emmett two years after her turning. He was dying from being mauled by a bear. Rosalie picked him up and ran with him, over 100 miles, back to the house they were staying in. It took phenomenal control for Rosalie to not drink the blood freely spilling from the man in her arms but she did it.

She saw the man's dimples and dark curly hair, so like the child she had adored when human, so like her friend's son. Of course he wasn't her friend's son but it gave Rosalie the strength to continue.

Unfortunately when she got to the house Carlisle wasn't there, he had been called out on an emergency and it would take too long to retrieve him or wait.

Rosalie looked so desperate, so pleading and earnest, the most life she had shown since becoming a vampire that Harry couldn't say no to her request.

Rosalie didn't have the control yet to be able to resist human blood if she tasted it (she had never drunk human blood). So Harry offered to try and save the 20 year old man bleeding out and so close to death on the pristine carpet of their front room.

So Harry bit Emmett, keeping his mind fixed on his godson even as he kept his eyes on Rosalie's desperate face.

He managed it, just barely, but he managed to tear himself away so he wouldn't drink more than a mouthful of Emmett's blood, he hadn't even meant to drink that much.

Carlisle returned home that day to find Harry with blood red eyes and Emmett screaming in their basement Rosalie holding his hand.

Harry didn't leave the basement after Carlisle had returned.

Harry's eyes took a while but soon returned to their stunning green. Harry found abstaining from human blood both easier and harder after tasting Emmett's blood. It was a confusing conundrum but Harry rather thought that he was more controlled when blood was spilt in front of him now. He had had an additional hundred years to perfect his control since Aro had tested him and Carlisle in the library after all.

His control was only bested by Carlisle, even Severus wasn't nearly as controlled in front of freshly spilt human blood (and yes Severus had conducted tests, using donated/brought blood).

Emmett was a fun loving vampire with impressive strength (even for a newborn) and it wasn't long before Rosalie and he were married.

Harry smiled to see Rosalie slightly happier, it even seemed like Rosalie and Edward could get along. A muffled argument sounded and Harry sighed. Edward and Rosalie could get along...sort of.

* * *

xxx

It was 1936 when Carlisle, Harry, Edward, Rosalie and Emmett moved to Forks.

There they met the shape-shifters; Harry wondered if Ephraim Black was in anyway related to the Black family in the wizarding world. He knew it was a stretch and that there were many families with the surname Black but...

There was something familiar about Ephraim's dark eyes...

Squibs had always been disposed of quietly in the Black family so...

Harry shook away his thoughts; it meant nothing even if his wild speculations were correct.

They signed a treaty with Ephraim, the Cullens promised not to bite another person and to stay off the shape-shifters land.

Harry liked Forks, it was in the countryside (something he adored) had a city fairly close by if Rosalie wanted to shop and they could go outside in the day time due to the near constant rain.

The others seemed to like it as well.

* * *

xxx

They had moved three times since Forks and were situated fairly happily in 1950 when a surprise literally landed on their doorstep.

Edward and Emmett had disappeared for a hunt when suddenly two vampires, a tall man with a military bearing and a short pixie like woman, had approached the house.

Carlisle had been doing his rounds as a doctor so it was only Rosalie and Harry at home to greet the new arrivals.

Harry had been shocked to say the least.

The female vampire, Alice, had claimed she could see the future and the male vampire, Jasper, looked like he had lived through more than a few wars, he was covered in scars that looked like bite marks, Harry felt a twitch and remembered burn of his own bite mark filled torso in sympathy.

By the time Carlisle had returned home Harry had invited the two into the family on the condition that they try to keep to the 'vegetarian' diet. Carlisle had been surprised but he didn't deny his mate, he could never deny Harry something he truly wanted.

It also seemed that despite her initial suspicions Rosalie was looking forward to shopping with Alice and having another woman in the house. She was even more thrilled when it turned out Alice was just as interested (if not more so) in fashion and shopping as herself.

When Edward and Emmett returned it was to find Alice and Jasper had taken over Edward's bedroom and put his stuff in the garage. Harry had been laughing in the corner so Edward had no doubt who had suggested they move to his room.

It was a little awkward at first, Jasper's thoughts were bloody in nature from his rather colourful past and this made Edward wary of the potential threat to his family. Jasper being empathic felt this and so was even more uneasy than the new diet caused.

It took a while but Rosalie's immediate acceptance of Alice and Harry's complete acceptance of the new couple smoothed the way considerably. Emmett liked having more people around; Carlisle loved his family, new and old, with boundless limits and so soon Edward and Jasper got along.

Jasper in turn had accepted them as family too after an incident... He had accidently lost control and drained someone so the Cullen's had to leave. Much to Jasper's surprise he wasn't treated with scorn, jabs at being 'weak' or kicked out for slipping up on the diet.

Harry had visited him that night and Jasper had braced himself for the inevitable telling off. It hadn't come. Harry and Jasper had spoken well into the night given very real privacy by dint of Harry having shoved everyone out of the house and telling them to go hunt (animals).

Acceptance went two ways after all, Jasper needed to accept the family to be accepted and vice versa.

Jasper stood at parade rest in his room avoiding Harry's gaze. Harry smiled at Jasper warmly, showing none of the hostile motions Jasper expected and Harry's emotions (more indistinct than most people's for some reason) were soothing in their warmth.

It was the first time since Alice and Jasper had arrived that someone just sat down and talked with Jasper, properly.

Admittedly they had only been there a month but still.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" Harry asked. Jasper stared at Harry, feeling no artifice in Harry and only genuine concern radiating.

Jasper would have shrugged but he was brought up better than that and when uncomfortable fell back on old habits, like manners.

"Fine." Jasper responded a tiny bit shortly. Harry smiled as though he had expected that answer.

"You know, that is exactly the same answer I gave when one of my professors tried to murder me when I was eleven." Harry mused.

"I'm pretty sure that's against the law, were they arrested?" Jasper asked curiously, he knew next to nothing about any of the Cullen's pasts or even them themselves. Heck, he barely knew Alice!

Harry smiled, it wasn't a nice warm smile like normal, it was a slightly bitter tired smile.

"No. I killed him." Harry said absently mind miles away. Jasper stared at Harry once more in surprise. Harry, out of them all (even Carlisle) seemed so pure, so wholesome; Jasper couldn't imagine Harry killing anyone even as a vampire.

"He was very close to killing me and because of my mother's sacrifice my touch literally burned the teacher to dust. I grabbed into his face and let the touch do its job." Harry chuckled slightly at Jasper's incredulous look.

"Oh, I forgot...Have you ever heard of the magical world? Witches and Wizards?" Harry asked. He explained at Jasper's negative shake of his head.

Jasper doubted he would have believed Harry had he not been able to tell from Harry's emotions that he wasn't lying.

"Anyway, would you blame me for killing my teacher?" Harry asked without inflection, he wasn't trying to get Jasper to blame him or not he was making a point.

"The man was an adult and trying to murder you, he had your parent's murderer in the back of his head. I'm pretty sure no one would blame you. But it's different; you didn't kill in cold blood because you'd been ordered too." Jasper said adamantly.

Harry smiled once more, he nearly never could be found without a smile.

"It is different yes, but not as much as you think. Jasper, you have never killed apart from when you were ordered or when drinking for your survival. You saved a great number of humans by being in main command of the newborns, you helped them work together so while more vampires- vampires that were either seeking revenge or to have bigger territories were killed- fewer humans were slaughtered.

When you think about all the lives you took remember all the lives you saved." Harry urged.

"And you chose to turn your back on that lifestyle to try to not take another life." Harry added.

Jasper told Harry some of his exploits under Maria's rule and he was...soothed by the fact Harry didn't look at him with disgust or pity, there were odd pangs of sympathy Harry felt for the victims (and Jasper), but Harry didn't treat Jasper any different than he had before and that (strangely) seemed to help.

"You know, I nearly did kill in cold blood." Harry said absently a few hours later, remembering the one time he had nearly murdered people for his own satisfaction.

Jasper shot Harry another startled disbelieving look. Harry fought a grin.

"Before I was turned I had a godson, well son, I as good as adopted him. He was a delight, so young and innocent and so cheeky! I was turned before he reached his fifth birthday.

So I left. I couldn't put Teddy in danger until I was sure I would be able to dash away if Teddy so much as skinned a knee without draining him of blood. I returned fairly confident years later, Teddy should have been twenty, only to find he had passed away of sickness a mere two months before I returned. Two months!

I examined the household and found a maid who had snuck into a diseased area and back so she could feed her family who were sick.

I was furious, I believed that because of this woman seeing to her own sick family that she had brought the sickness back with her and cursed my godson, my son with death." Harry took in a deep shuddering unnecessary breath and calmed himself with an apologetic look towards Jasper; he didn't want the empath to have to deal with his turbulent emotions.

"I was determined to take from her what I thought she had taken from me. I plotted to kill her sick family and then her. My friend Severus hit me around the head and tied me up with restraints I could not loosen no matter how hard I tried for hours. He said I was being stupid, that I was blinded by the death of a child I had abandoned. Abandoned for good reasons but abandoned nonetheless.

I eventually came to my senses. But if it hadn't been for Severus I would have killed five people in cold blood.

And it probably wasn't even the maids fault! Now days we know that disease takes time to gestate in the human body, so it probably wasn't even her who passed on the sickness after all." Harry finished.

His point with talking to Jasper was getting him to know the Cullen's personally, so he was a part of them. And that took knowing bits of peoples past, it made you feel closer to them.

Harry genuinely wanted to get to know Jasper as well. Harry always did like huge families.

"We are not going to kick you out for a single mistake, Jasper. You are part of the Cullen family for as long as you wish and both Edward and Emmett had slipped up before a couple of times. It is hard living with the constant struggle but it is worth it." Harry said softly.

"Now what age did you join the army?" Harry asked curiously, he doubted Jasper had joined with his true age, not if he had been a Major.

Throughout the night Harry teased out Jasper's life story, offering his own as well. Jasper spoke at length and there was something cathartic about it, he hadn't spoken of much of it to Alice because she had seen the essential things and he didn't want to trouble her with more bloody thoughts.

Plus they hadn't really had the time.

But just speaking allowed to someone who was honestly listening drained Jasper in an oddly freeing way.

Jasper was surprised to learn just how old Harry and Carlisle were and how long they had been together.

Harry matched each painful story from Jasper with a painful one of his own and each happy/funny memory with his own as well.

Of course the talk didn't magically fix everything but both Jasper and Harry came away from it feeling like they knew each other better, that they really were both part of the same family.

"I have already lost one son, Jasper; I don't want to lose another." Harry said as he departed with the supernatural grace of a vampire.

Jasper smiled for the first time in a while. Maybe, maybe he could be a part of the Cullen family, family not coven.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer.

* * *

Chapter 5:

(5/11)

When they moved this time they accidently ran into another Coven, the Denali Coven, a group of female vampires that also only fed on animals.

One of the members, Tanya, set her sights on Edward only to be rebuffed with all of Edward's gentlemanly charm. Sometimes Edward reminded Harry far too much of Carlisle, in fact he teasingly accused Carlisle of brainwashing much to everyone's amusement.

The Cullen's stayed with them until people nearby got visibly edgy about the similarities and odd peculiar beauty of the vampires. Ten vampires in one place were a little too much even if they claimed they were all related.

Harry was slightly amused to learn that myths of Succubus could be linked to the trio of exceptionally beautiful female vampires. He was also slightly sympathetic to the loss of human life before the three woman decided to abstain from human blood because they liked human men and their warm flesh too much.

Emmett had laughed at Harry's embarrassment whenever the topic of sex came up in conversation. Harry had been brought up where sex went on (obviously) even affaires but it was never mentioned, he could deal with the act but not speaking of it or casually mentioning it.

* * *

xxx

Much to Harry's delight it wasn't many years before they returned to Forks.

He did so love the greenery.

They settled down for two years of normalcy (as normal as a vampire family got) before a new addition to the town stirred up the entire family.

Harry overheard people gossiping about Charlie Swan's daughter who was coming to live with the Chief of Police soon when he was out shopping for the food the Cullen's never ate. Harry always brought the amount a family of seven would eat (plus extra because teenage boys were supposed to be bottomless pits) he always added in the oddest things he could find in the shop just for the slight amusement it gave him.

Because really...food shopping was dull.

Harry always took most of the food and gave it to the centres for the homeless in Seattle, anonymously of course. He also cooked occasionally...well attempted to.

Because human food was now repulsive to Harry he wasn't sure what went with what, especially since the last time he had cooked for himself was in the very early 1800s.

He was never quite sure if Charlie Swan (Harry had made friends with Charlie after one of the boys-Emmett and Jasper- had been caught speeding...again, Rosalie and Alice were too clever to get caught and Edward could hear the police's thoughts) was humouring him when he said he liked the food Harry cooked.

Harry lied, he could tell when Charlie scrunched up his nose whether he liked something or not. Thankfully the majority of things Harry cooked and gave to Charlie the Chief of Police liked. But Harry was sure it was mainly because Charlie would be surviving on only fry-ups and sandwiches if Harry wasn't dropping round food. So Charlie wasn't really the best taste tester.

It was only occasionally his food went wrong.

Harry felt sorry for Isabella Swan already, she was the talk of the town and she hadn't even arrived yet!

Harry wondered if she would mind eating the food he sent Charlie as well...

* * *

xxx

Harry tried to tune out the prattle from the school students but it was hard when he could hear conversations in the other side of the school.

It seemed the new girl was a hit with the boys seeking a new shiny toy to play with.

As much as Harry adored Forks even he had to admit the town was a little slow. Not much happened and so the people living there spent ages gossiping about anything new.

Harry watched as the new girl approached, apparently she was in his class, the second period lesson.

Harry took the slip to sign with a gentle smile, he barely even noticed the girl's flushing cheeks as he signed it then let her slip (or rather trip) to a seat in the back next to Angela Weber, Harry knew Angela was a kind girl.

He asked her to see him at the end of the lesson for a quick word before she sat down but otherwise left her alone, she hardly needed more attention, the entire class was gawking even when Isabella (she preferred Bella, from the conversations Harry had overheard) sat in the back.

Harry effortlessly garnered the classes attention and began his lesson, pleased when most people seemed to be listening. He did try to keep it interesting.

If he was teaching a time period he had lived in then he added some new facts each time. It was both to keep people entertained and playing a game with Jasper who enjoyed history.

Harry hadn't yet managed to catch Jasper out; Jasper had worked out each addition to the lectures each time. Harry had only managed to catch Alice out because she had a vision during his lesson and so was distracted.

Harry took a leaf out of Severus's book and when marking homework whenever writing a criticism turned it into a quip, or sarcastic comment. Of course Harry wasn't nearly so stringent with the marks he gave nor as caustic with the comments as Severus had been and no one had complained so far, also it slightly stemmed the tediousness that was marking (at least) thirty sets of the same homework.

Harry enjoyed being a teacher; he had found a taste for it in his fifth year when he tutored Dumbledore's Army so they would be able to defend themselves against Voldemort and his cronies.

Harry enjoyed teaching muggle and magical, it didn't matter to him which.

When he taught in Hogwarts he ran to Seattle (it took him only a few minutes) and used the floo in the secret magical sect to floo to his office in Hogwarts. He chatted to Albus's portrait at times too, the man was just as cryptic and odd as a portrait as he had been in real life.

Apparently Severus spoke to Albus also from time to time.

Harry dismissed the class and leant against his desk while Bella slowly approached. Harry smiled at her to put her at ease; it only seemed to make her flush again.

"Don't worry I won't bite." Harry stated with an amused grin, he might tell his students that a lot...only the Hogwarts students laughed getting the inside joke. "I just wanted to know what history you took before you came here and to wish you luck in fitting in." Harry stated watching Bella grimace at his words curiously.

"Ah, don't worry, it's a small town. They will get over the gossip one day...hopefully before pigs fly." Harry stated dryly feeling slightly triumphant when the corners of Bella's lips twitched.

"They still natter on about my family even though we moved here two years ago." Harry continued seeing Bella's eyes widen in surprise.

After Bella told Harry what history she had studied before Harry walked her to her next class so she didn't get lost and caused a stir by walking in to explain to Bella's teacher why she was late.

The stir that occurred at Harry Cullen-Potter walking into the classroom nearly completely masked Bella's own entry much to the girl's evident relief. She still flushed red though.

Sometimes Harry cursed the vampire stunning looks, at times Edward could be way too depressingly correct, they were the perfect predator, the honey trap. Sometimes Harry would have preferred vinegar.

It wasn't until the second to last period of the day that anything alarming happened.

Harry, packing up having finished his last class, period five, stilled, forgetting to even blink and act like a human as he peered through his classroom windows and saw Edward tearing away from the school and locking himself in his Volvo.

Harry frowned and without further ado swiftly left the classroom (at a speed which if noticed would definitely out them) he opened Edward's car passenger door and slid inside. Harry noticed the too tight grip Edward had on the steering wheel with worry.

Harry didn't say a word as rain fell through the open windows and Edward's CD blared, well blared to them to a human it probably was just on the side of too loud when not driving.

Harry placed a tentative hand on Edward's arm before stiffening involuntarily.

Edward's head swung round to look at Harry far faster than a humans could.

"What's wrong?" Edward asked a frown crinkling his brow. He was genuinely concerned but maybe talking to Harry would take his mind off the delectable scent of Bella Swan's blood.

Eventually Harry shuddered and he removed his hand from Edward's arm.

Harry took deep unnecessary breaths while Edward tapped impatiently at the steering wheel.

There were times when Harry's mind went completely blank to Edward. Harry couldn't control when it would happen, it was seemingly random and it tended to frustrate Edward every single time. Edward was just too curious for his own good.

"Your control is impeccable." Harry eventually said making conscious effort to blink and fidget like a human. Sometimes, occasionally, Harry would touch someone (usually when they were in acute distress) and he would momentarily be swamped by their feelings, their thoughts. It was as though for a second he was no longer Harry but the person he was touching. It was a bit like Edward and Jasper's gifts combined for the short burst of time it occurred, it usually took skin on skin contact but Harry was so attuned to his family it didn't always take even that.

It made his already naturally empathic (not like Jasper's gift) nature extreme.

Harry's magic had gone a little crazy after turning into a vampire. Harry guessed it was because his blood contained Basilisk venom, Phoenix tears and he had been a Horcrux and then vampire venom...so yeah, a cocktail of rather odd substances in his blood.

Edward snorted.

"It's true. Her scent..." Harry trailed off ignoring the dark glare Edward sent his way.

"Anyway your control was remarkable. I can't say if anyone other than Carlisle would have been able to sit next to their singer for an hour and not drain them." Harry stated utterly sure in his verdict.

"You would have stood it too." Edward replied after a pause.

"My control is not nearly as good as your fathers. I doubt anyone's is. You do not have to hold yourself up to Carlisle's personal standard, Edward. It would be like you expecting Carlisle to be a telepath like you." Harry stated. They had a theory that it was Carlisle's gift, his compassion.

While Harry's control was excellent (he had never slipped) he did not believe he could keep it up in a hospital 24/7.

Edward didn't reply but he did turn off the CD playing. After a while he stood and excited the car heading towards the main office. Harry sighed and left the car, running home at a speed humans wouldn't notice.

Harry supposed vampires running was a little like the Night Bus, a rather recent invention in the wizarding world in Britain, in that they moved too fast for humans to notice.

Harry entered the empty house and sighed, a purely human action that he liked to indulge in from time to time.

He made his way to his and Carlisle's bedroom swapping his jumper for his favourite green one. It served no purpose but to make Harry slightly more relaxed, vampires didn't really feel the cold after all.

He hoped they wouldn't have to move he really did adore Forks.

Scratch that, he hoped Edward didn't kill Bella Swan, Charlie would be devastated. She was in most of his conversations when Harry stopped by for a chat and to drop off some food.

Harry felt a pang of sympathy for Edward. Bella's blood sang to Edward far more so than any singer Harry had personally come across and Harry doubted Emmett's blood singers had been quite so strong, so enticing. Emmett had drained the singers both times.

Harry had only barely resisted the urge to drain them when he ran into his singers and once Carlisle had had to restrain him. It had been early on in their relationship and Harry had been hunting when he had smelt a blood far more enticing than any he had smelt before. A human hunter, searching for game, had been wounded (mildly) with his knife and so the temptation was even greater as blood was spilt. Carlisle had had to tackle Harry to the ground and hold him down all the while entreating him to return to his senses.

Harry had, eventually, but he had been horrified, he had almost bitten Carlisle. While vampire bites wouldn't do much to another vampire it stung like mad (far worse than a bee sting) and left a scar.

Harry may have then locked himself in the basement of their house at that time and refused to come out for two weeks...maybe.

Harry was so utterly proud of Edward for resisting, for not just tearing through Bella like she was nothing and then draining the rest of the class.

Really, Edward was far more admirable than he thought.

Harry paced the empty house unable to keep still even though that was his natural state of being. Harry eventually decided just to cook something; he could deliver it to Charlie once done.

Strangely, even though he found human food distasteful, cooking had a calming effect on Harry.

It was soon, mere minutes into his cooking that the rest of his sons and daughters arrived at the house questions on all of their lips apart from Alice's.

Jasper picked up on the tension from both Alice and Harry and nearly reflexively sent soothing emotions their way. Harry eyes Jasper's tense form, he needed to feed.

Why did Jasper feel the need to test his endurance? It didn't matter if he needed to feed more frequently than the rest of them.

Of course it seemed to be a point of pride for Jasper. Harry sighed, again a human motion that didn't come naturally but tended to amuse and calm Harry down.

Harry didn't see Edward.

"I take it Edward went to Carlisle then?" Harry asked seeking affirmation. His heart sank when he saw Alice's worried/vexed features.

"No, he's gone to Alaska." Alice denied. Harry stilled and Jasper almost winced at the acute pain that flittered through Harry before he reined his emotions in, it wasn't fair for him to cause Jasper distress even if it was unintentional.

"Will he be back?" Harry asked hands clenching on the worktop so hard that the marble cracked. Alice shrugged wordlessly, helplessly.

Harry stayed motionless for a few minutes until one of his timers beeped. With another human sigh Harry flicked out his wand and tapped the broken marble mumbling 'reparo'. The marble counter fixed itself and Harry set out the cottage pie. It looked edible. Harry wrinkled his nose in distaste.

"I'll just take this to Charlie's." Harry stated quietly moving to the garage and his simple car (he had absolutely no interest in cars whatsoever...much to his children's disbelief/incredulous amusement), they had brought him a car, one much more expensive and flash than the simple golf Harry had been eyeing.

Harry remained in his semi daze as he drove (slowly) to Charlie's house.

Once he got there he parked neatly eyeing the large red truck in the driveway with amusement. Was that the vehicle Charlie had got his daughter? Harry would have been crucified if he gave anyone of his children a car that old/rusted/truck or even a vehicle that ran so slow.

Harry knocked holding the glass container filled with hot cottage pie with his other hand.

Harry cursed mentally when he realised Charlie was still at work, otherwise the police cruiser would be there.

Bella opened the door brown eyes widening as she recognised him and a slight flush creeping up her cheekbones. Harry smiled a little sheepishly and this seemed to just make her blush even more.

"Hi, Bella, I was just dropping round this." Harry held up the dish then realised what his sentence must sound like and how confusing it would sound to Bella. "Oh, um, I sometimes bring round food for Charlie since he managed to explode tinned pasta sauce and burn the pasta." Harry and Bella shared a pained look.

Harry smiled a little sheepishly again handing over the glass ware making sure his cool (icy) hands didn't touch Bella's bare skin. Bella took it with a smile of thanks.

"What should I do with the glassware?" Bella asked pragmatically.

"I'll collect it next time I bring something round...if you don't like any of the food don't be shy to say...sometimes I manage to make something that tastes worse than dirt, your dad is always too nice with his comments." Harry mumbled the last a little embarrassed whenever Charlie thanked him for the cooking. It wasn't like it was something Harry didn't like doing after all.

"Well, thanks." Bella said a little awkwardly. Harry nodded about to leave before a sudden thought struck him.

"Oh! My son, Edward, asked me to apologise to you. Apparently he wasn't feeling very well in Biology and started glaring at thin air and he may have given the impression he was glaring at you. Sorry about Edward, when he's ill he gets really crabby." Harry said in a sudden feeling of...not pity but something close when he noticed Bella's reddened eyes. Being hated for no reason was always rather demoralising. Harry should know.

Plus it would hopefully quell any (if she even thought of any) suspicions. Hopefully. Harry looked at her sceptical face and inwardly frowned. Bella seemed far too astute. Harry was an appalling liar though and he hated lying but if it protected his family then he would try.

Harry made his way home, relieved when he saw Edward's Volvo in the drive. His relief vanished when he realised that Carlisle and Edward had just switched cars, Edward wasn't home. But Carlisle was.

Harry wandered in to find the family all in the lounge. Only Carlisle was seated, they technically never felt the need to sit down but it made them seem human so they tried to get into the habit of it.

Harry sat next to Carlisle leaning against his side. Harry always found comfort in tactile sensations, well nice tactile sensations. Carlisle absently, in an almost reflexive motion, wrapped an arm around Harry.

"He'll be back soon." Carlisle soothed pressing a kiss against Harry's smooth forehead. Harry didn't say a word, it was nothing more than a hopeful platitude, but one Harry was grateful for anyway.

Harry sighed. Carlisle smiled slightly and tilted Harry's head up for a kiss that was probably a little too heated for the living room. Carlisle always did like Harry wearing green.

"Eww!" Emmett exclaimed theatrically rubbing his eyes. Jasper coughed pointedly. Harry leaned back against the couch covering his face with his hands even as everyone else was unruffled.

"I can't believe you still get embarrassed over mentions of sex." Emmett teased. Harry leaned even further back into the couch. Rosalie laughed.

"Well if you take into account I was born in the 1700s then I'm way past prude in this day and age and I'm a crazy old man with a poodle!" Harry exclaimed sitting back up attempting to appear unaffected. There was a moment of silence.

"I swear that sentence made no sense." Emmett muttered loud enough for them all to hear. Harry, for the first time that day, found himself laughing at his absurd family. It wasn't long before Alice, Rosalie, Emmett, Jasper and Carlisle joined in.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer.

Warnings: mentions of rape – very very small mention, much like in Twilight.

* * *

Chapter 6:

(6/11)

It took six days before Edward returned and the weather had turned cold.

Harry made sure to remind his children to take their warmer coats; they did have to blend in with the humans after all.

Harry, luckily, had a class or two to teach on Monday so he could also be at school in case anything happened, like Edward losing control.

His schedule for teaching was odd and rather random and Harry preferred that, it wasn't quite a surprise when he was called in but it was still unexpected enough for their usually expected (and occasionally boring) lives. Apparently the other history tutor was a little...eccentric and took time off randomly so he could continue his studies and experiments on aged parchment. Sometimes he was so absorbed he forgot to turn up to teach. Harry really didn't see the appeal of looking at parchment but he was grateful that it gave him such a flexible schedule.

Harry, unfortunately, decided to walk next to Edward when they were leaving the house to get to school and of course this was when Jasper and Emmett decided to pelt Edward with slushy snow.

Harry stood there feeling the snow and wet sink into his clothes before he grinned and sent a return fire back Jasper and Emmett's way. Edward ignored them, his brow furrowed in thought.

It soon turned into a grappling between Emmett and Jasper (like usual), the two liked to fight a lot. Emmett always sulked when he lost.

Harry smiled to himself when he noticed Edward's lips turn up at the corners at Emmett and Jasper's actions before he hastily sent his thoughts in another direction so Edward wouldn't catch them.

So Harry entered his classroom sopping wet and all his papers soggy. His students didn't seem to be much better off and Harry sent a sheepish grin their way as he tried to dry the homework he had graded and was ready to be returned to them.

Harry was sometimes very thankful it was well known in Forks he was gay, while there were a few nasty comments (Harry ignored them, he was over 200 years old after all), mainly it kept the woman he met from attempting to hit on him. He did feel sorry for Edward, being the only single one out of the Cullen's meant he was free game for everyone.

He could do without some of the humans envisioning sexual acts between him and Carlisle however, Harry had not been even remotely amused when his _beloved_ children informed him about some fantasies. Typically Emmett had just laughed at his embarrassment (after waggling his eyebrows).

Harry may have short-circuited all the remote controls for the TV and games station for that...maybe.

Harry had found it you 'accio'ed' electrical appliances they fried. Emmett's annoyance had been worth it.

Harry again finished teaching in fifth period but instead of going home (he drove his own car sometimes, because Edward's seated five people only) he waited in his class room grading essays; he wasn't going to leave early when Edward's control around his blood singer was so tenuous.

Sure enough Harry heard a disturbance from Edward's and Emmett's Spanish class so he followed Edward's scent to the car park and got in Edward's Volvo once again.

"You are doing so well." Harry stated earnestly. Edward grimaced. They lapsed back into companionable silence.

"Sometimes I wonder if we are doing this all wrong." Harry mused out loud. Edward turned a quizzical expression Harry's way; it always frustrated and intrigued Edward when he couldn't hear Harry's thoughts clearly.

"This, college, pretending you are all High School age. Sometimes I think it would be better if we found a house far from people and said you were all home schooled and just live there for a while." Harry expanded his absent comment. Edward frowned thoughtfully then shook his head.

"Jasper and Emmett would murder each other in a month. While school is insufferably dull and teenagers in general inane, it means we can live in close proximity to humans, so have all the electrical equipment etc and every few years we go away separately, Rosalie and Emmett go on another honeymoon, you and Carlisle visit your old friends, Alice and Jasper do what they want and I go round seeking new music." Edward negated Harry's thoughts. Harry smiled wistfully but agreed.

Harry got out of the car and made his way to his one, parked in the teacher's car park.

It would be good for both Carlisle and Edward to hunt together tonight. Carlisle was Edward's role model after all and Carlisle had been agonising over his decision to let Edward leave without trying to persuade him not to the week before. Carlisle thought it showed lack of trust in Edward.

* * *

xxx

Harry briskly informed a teacher he was going to make sure his son was alright before leaving the school.

There had been an accident, someone's van, Tyler Crowley's, had hit some ice and nearly crushed Bella Swan apparently and somehow Edward was involved.

Harry didn't know the full story but he rushed to the hospital to find out, to make sure everyone was alright. He knew it was silly worrying about Edward being hurt, he was a vampire after all, but if Bella had been in an accident and was cut...

Harry briefly spared a thankful thought that at least Rosalie and Emmett had managed to drag Jasper away from the scene, Harry had smelt blood on the scene and he knew just how difficult it was for Jasper especially to live on their restricted diet.

Harry closed his eyes in a brief moment of relief when he didn't hear frantic calls, or hushed murmurs in the hospital. It was a small enough hospital that Harry immediately knew no one in the crash had been severely harmed.

Harry met Charlie in the waiting room of the hospital and he spared a moment to try to assuage his worries, Charlie adored his daughter, even if he didn't quite understand her.

Knowing everything was fine Harry only briefly ducked his head into the hospital area where Bella, Tyler and Edward were at the moment.

His worry eased completely as he saw both Bella and Tyler sitting up and coherent and Edward looking fine if slightly irritated. Harry didn't stay long, Tyler's blood was a temptation and hospitals were never really a good place for a vampire to be, well apart from Carlisle.

Harry let them be and went back to the school, he did have to teach.

Harry left as quickly as possible after his third and last class, he went home and found Carlisle in the dining room seated at the head of the table.

The dining room was Carlisle's favourite place to debate changes to the family's life or any potential risks. With such strong and different personalities that everyone possessed it was occasionally necessary to sit down and chat about it.

Harry sat next to Carlisle and laced their hands together.

Harry personally was proud Edward had saved the girl, he had saved a human life and Harry knew how much Bella meant to Charlie.

Also things would have gone terribly if Edward hadn't. If he had let her get crushed and die then her blood would have definitely been spilt and Edward wasn't ready to resist that level of temptation yet.

The others returned swiftly once school was let out and the revelations that followed shocked Harry to his core.

So Edward would eventually love this girl, Bella. Bella would one day be a part of the family.

Harry didn't know whether to run as fast as he could for joy or pester Alice with questions. Harry compromised and just listened as Edward and Alice had a seemingly one sided conversation, obviously Edward was answering Alice's thoughts.

Harry did so hate pestering Alice with questions of the future, he didn't like her to feel like her visions were more useful than herself, Harry occasionally thought Alice placed too much emphasis on her visions. They were useful yes, and had prevented the Cullen's from making mistakes more than once but Harry would rather Alice found happiness and contentment in the now rather than near constantly hunting for the future.

Harry placed a hand on Edward's shoulder when he looked like he was going to leave. Immediately Harry snapped straight and his hand fell to his side as he lost himself in Edward's emotions and thoughts. Edward read his thoughts through Harry's mind and his face twisted with anguish, determination and a hint of longing before he ran out of the room and out of the house.

Carlisle convinced the others not to run after him.

The argument had been close, Carlisle had convinced Rosalie that killing Bella was far too callous and Alice had managed to get Jasper to promise not to kill her too. Both Rosalie and Jasper saw it as far more prudent to squash the potential threat now.

Carlisle gently held Harry as he came back to reality, sometimes feeling another's mental torment, feelings, made Harry lose his thread on reality for a few seconds. Harry didn't often get sucked into another person's psyche but he was more naturally attuned to his family for some reason and it occurred more when emotions were heightened.

Harry breathed in sharply, unnecessarily, and a broad grin swept across his face. His soulful green eyes glittered and happiness seemed to radiate from his form.

"Bella's going to be a wonderful addition." Harry breathed. Jasper seemed shocked by the sheer amount of joy Harry was feeling; even Emmett was surprised out of his jokey nature. Alice was lost to her visions and Rosalie huffed sweeping out of the room dramatically. Carlisle looked hopeful.

* * *

xxx

It was more than a month later and much to Alice and Harry's disappointment Edward seemed set on his path to ignore Bella.

Harry didn't care much for Bella beyond her being Charlie's daughter, he didn't know her. But he liked the change Bella cause Edward, the slight shift in his personality. Harry liked the idea of Bella because it was a future where Edward seemed so much happier so much more at peace.

Vampires rarely changed, frozen as they were at the age they had been turned but in one instance their personalities shifted, love (as trite as it sounded, Harry did think Dumbledore was right in saying love was the most powerful force around).

Both Harry and Carlisle had changed slightly when they had met, Rosalie had changed with Emmett and Harry believed Jasper and Alice had changed slightly with each other.

Harry wanted the happiness Bella could give to his son, he wanted Edward to be less miserable (he had occasions when he spent days brooding and Harry knew his thoughts weren't pleasant), he wanted all is children to find their own happiness.

So Harry liked the idea of Bella, he was sure he would like her too when he got to know her.

She watched them, Bella watched the Cullens at times. Harry knew she did when she sat in his history lessons and her gaze was speculative, curious. Bella did not seem to dismiss the oddness of the Cullen family like most other humans did.

Harry knocked for courtesy sake and entered Edward's room eyeing the masses of CDs with amusement.

"So, may I enquire as to your whereabouts these last few nights?" Harry asked leaning against the door jam, it was easier to act human if they cemented habits at home as well. Harry never felt the need to lean against things.

Edward's face showed a mixture of shame and exhilaration. Harry repressed the thrill of hope that maybe he was accepting his future with Bella, finally. Edward rubbed his face with embarrassment.

A dawning suspicion entered Harry's mind but he dismissed it, surely Edward wouldn't...

Edward furrowed his brow as he overheard Harry's thoughts partially. Edward's lips twitched slightly and not in amusement, his father was very perceptive of human (or vampire) actions as long as he knew their emotions.

It was a little odd they managed to pass Harry and Carlisle off as parents, even adopted ones, seeing as Harry was eternally 22 and Carlisle 23. Forks currently thought Harry was 31 and Carlisle 32.

Edward was more than reluctant to voice where he had been at night for a few nights but he could not deny Harry.

"Deciding. Working out how I feel. It is easier to be around Bella if I get used to her scent more." Edward explained vaguely. What remained unsaid was that Edward would never get used to Bella's scent, his control might strengthen but he would never get used to it fully.

Harry frowned lost in dark thoughts for a second.

"Not like that! I would never..." Edward defended himself adamantly feeling a slight prickle of shame and slight hurt Harry would think that. Harry's eyes widened.

"Oh I wasn't comparing you, Edward; I know you are a good person, completely different from _him_. It might not be best to let Bella know you've been watching her sleep though. I always found it unnerving when I was human and Theodore watched me sleep." Harry said slowly.

Edward was far too good a person to do anything horrific, but watching someone sleep (especially when they didn't know you were there) was considered creepy and Harry felt mild apprehension about it but he supposed Edward wasn't doing it for nefarious reasons. Edward watched Bella to make up his mind, strengthen his resolve against killing her and to get used to the scent of her blood so he wouldn't kill her by accident.

Harry smiled shaking his head to dismiss his thoughts; he wasn't going to think more of it. At least he knew Edward was alright. Emmett seemed to think Edward had lost it.

"So what is she like?" Harry asked curiously. He wanted Edward's thoughts on the girl, not Rosalie's biased uncomplimentary jabs. Harry loved Rosalie he really did but sometimes she was a little...prickly.

* * *

xxx

Harry listened enraptured from the top of the stairs as Edward played the piano. He was playing a new piece, composing. He hadn't touched the piano in a while and Harry delighted every time Edward graced them with his melodious playing.

Slowly he finished his mesmerising new piece and started to play the piece he had created for Carlisle and Harry. If Harry was human he would probably feel tears prickle at the corners of his eyes but since he wasn't he let the wonderful encompassing choking feeling swamp him.

Harry surveyed his family eyes bright with warmth, happiness, love.

Jasper and Emmett were playing a complicated chess game, eight chess boards and their own set of rules. Alice sat behind Emmett and mouthed Emmett's planned moves (she saw them in her visions) so Jasper could see what Emmett would do. Edward was at his piano; Rosalie sat on the sofa flicking through channels far too swiftly a frown of annoyance on her pretty face. Carlisle was in his study, reading but he had paused in his turning of the pages when Edward began playing.

Harry gently placed a hand on Edward's shoulder as he drifted past flicking Alice gently on the ear in an amused admonishment.

He drifted into Carlisle's study entering absently and returning the fond smile he received.

"Apparently Peter and Charlotte, Jasper's friends, are coming for a visit." Harry murmured standing behind Carlisle and placing his hands on the blond vampires shoulder.

"Hmmm." Carlisle responded putting down his book and turning his head to place a kiss on Harry's hand.

Harry smiled peaceably.

* * *

xxx

Harry tended to use Carlisle's study just as much as Carlisle did; both quite enjoyed working on separate projects or reading different books while in the same room as each other. It was oddly soothing.

So Harry was there absorbed in his book when Edward entered the study looking enraged. Carlisle didn't seem surprised; he had probably heard Edward coming up.

Harry was surprised Edward wasn't with Bella though; he seemed to think Bella needed constant protection from everything and so had been stalking her to make sure she was safe. Edward had been especially protective when Charlotte and Peter visited Jasper. Charlotte and Peter drank from humans and both thought the Cullen lifestyle to be odd but they wouldn't hunt near the Cullens. They were respectful of them and their choices.

Edward had been a little rude during Peter and Charlotte's visit, which honestly wasn't like him, but he was worried, concerned about Bella's welfare. Harry had apologised to Jasper's friends saying that Edward was going through a rough patch. Peter seemed to think Edward had gone mad due to their vegetarian diet; Charlotte's thoughts weren't much different.

"Do you want me to leave?" Harry asked head tilted to one side, Edward might want to just talk to Carlisle after all. Edward paused before realising their conversation could be heard from anywhere in the house and he wouldn't mind Harry's input either.

"No. Did Alice tell you what happened to Bella tonight?" Edward asked hands clenched tightly and a dark expression on his face.

Edward appeared to answer Carlisle's thoughts as he continued.

"Yes, almost happened. I want very much to kill him..." Edward continued speaking to Carlisle but Harry left the room; he would be of no use. Carlisle would sort it so that the serial rapist that had attempted to target Bella tonight would go to jail. Edward was asking Carlisle to do this so 'someone else's Bella' wouldn't be harmed.

Harry ignored his darker emotions for the moment and just focussed on the pride he felt for Edward, that Edward wasn't ripping the man's throat out, he was seeking a non murderous path of justice.

While Harry knew the man probably deserved to be killed he did not think it his place to decide such things, nor did he really like the idea of his son, Edward, murdering.

Bella seemed to be good for Edward.

Despite Harry's morose thoughts he sketched absently, humming an oddly cheerful tune as he drew.

Yes Bella would be a good addition.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer.

* * *

Chapter 7:

(7/11)

The family was slightly hectic as a whole on the weekend Edward was planning on taking Bella to the meadow.

Bets were exchanged (mainly between Jasper and Emmett) on whether Bella would survive the day. Alice bet on Bella surviving.

Harry rolled his eyes pushing away the slight niggling worry, he was sure Edward would be able to control himself.

He was proved right when Alice grinned triumphantly that night.

"Edward's going to bring Bella round to meet us all tomorrow." Alice stated nearly bouncing round with glee. Rosalie scowled.

Harry and Carlisle shared a warm glance before Harry turned to Jasper.

"Jazz, Em, will you teach me to fight?" Harry asked seeing that they were bored and looked about ready to start wrestling in the lounge, Harry did not want to replace furniture again, there was only so much a 'reparo' could do.

Harry could almost physically feel Carlisle's concern and he resisted the urge to roll his eyes again.

"Sure, if you want to get your ass handed to you again." Emmett commented with an easy going shrug. Jasper nodded sending Emmett a sharp toothed grin.

Out of all the male vampires Harry was the least strong and the smallest. He had a slight almost willowy frame, he wasn't short but he was slight.

This meant that in a fight he relied on his speed and ability to dodge.

Fighting as vampires was different to fighting as humans and Harry hadn't learnt to physically fight as a human in the first place anyway.

They ran to a clearing suitably far enough away so that the residents of Forks wouldn't hear the clashing of their icy rock hard bodies if it got that loud. Harry was the first there, Edward was the fastest out of all of them but Harry was nearly as speedy and Edward was with Bella at the moment.

Harry was a quick learner but he would never be quite as good at fighting as Edward, Jasper or Emmett were, or even Carlisle.

Carlisle never liked watching Harry learn to fight. There was something comical about the picture of Harry getting ready to go against Emmett (even more so with Emmett and Alice) but the brutal smack of bodies and the violence was not really to Harry or Carlisle's taste.

When they finally returned home, Carlisle and Harry arm in arm and Jasper and Emmett still tussling, they found Rosalie and Alice going through the fashion designs Alice was again creating, Rosalie over her shoulder helping and commenting here and there.

Harry smiled; he might have saved the furniture for tonight.

They cleaned up (their cold hard bodies might not have been harmed but their clothes and bodies were mud stained at the least) Jasper and Emmett's clothing was beyond repair.

It was still early but a sense of anticipation filled the Cullen house hold, they were going to be properly introduced to Bella Swan, potential future member of their family.

* * *

xxx

Bella smoothed down her blouse nervously. She wasn't nervous about going into a house full of vampires but nervous as to whether they would like her or not.

Edward opened the door and they stepped inside. The inside was just as breathtaking as the outside, even more so in fact. What had probably been a few rooms had been merged into one large room; an entire wall had been replaced with glass windows that stretched from floor to ceiling.

It could have been an imposing room, so clean and neat but there were little homey touches dotted about that made it comforting.

Bella caught her breath when she saw Edward's parents. She had seen them both before of course but their inhuman beauty struck her again. She (and every other student) was struck each time they walked into Harry's class.

Dr. Carlisle Cullen stood arm in arm with Harry Potter-Cullen both outrageous in their perfection and so _young _looking. Now she could see them standing together Bella noticed they were a striking couple, both had too pale skin of course but Harry had pitch dark hair to counter Carlisle's warm blond tones.

There was an odd thing about Harry, even for vampires, his eyes were a singular stunning green and so achingly soulful and full of bright emotion and life.

Bella recalled what Edward had told her about each family member and his confusing words on Harry.

_..."In some ways Harry is both the most human of us and the least. He was part of a rather...odd race of humans when he was alive who could all harness a different type of energy to their wills, it is termed magic but I believe it is a form of energy that only select few can utilise. So when he was turned some of his abilities transferred too as well as the fact that on a diet of animal blood his eyes remain the green he sported before he was turned. _

_Harry is one of those rare few people who has no desire to be powerful, so he uses what he can do for little things and basically ignores what he can do because it is less than what he could do before...I'm not explaining it quite right, you'll have to see for yourself._

_Also he is odd in vampire terms for many reasons but the main ones being his choice of diet, his green eyes and the fact humans just don't seem to fear him instinctively as much as they do the others of our family."..._

Both Carlisle and Harry were dressed casually, well casual for them; Bella noticed absently how messy Harry's hair actually was all the time.

"Carlisle, Harry this is Bella." Edward said breaking the short silence. Both of them smiled warmly at Bella and moved forward slowly, so as not to scare her probably.

"It's nice to see you again, Dr. Cullen and Mr. Potter-Cullen." Bella greeted feeling a burst of surprising confidence.

"Please, call me Carlisle." Carlisle implored shaking her hand gently.

"Yes, call me Harry; Mr makes me sound so old." Harry commented with a wry grin that widened when Edward snorted and Carlisle chuckled.

Bella wondered just how old Harry was from that comment, she knew he was older than Edward, he had been there when Edward was turned after all, but how much older? Her curiosity burned and she felt boundless questions form in her head. She would ask them in time, she supposed.

"It is nice to meet you properly, Bella, it doesn't feel the same in a classroom." Harry commented warmly stepping back, his smile turning fond as Carlisle wrapped an arm around his waist.

Bella didn't dwell on Rosalie's aversion to her instead feeling slightly happy by Alice's enthusiastic greeting.

She listened as Edward explained Carlisle's past, how he was turned, his discovery of another way of living with himself as a vampire, his studies in science, medicine and the arts. Edward drew her over to a painting of five different people and Bella realised she recognised two of them, the blond and black hair, the topaz and emerald eyes a big giveaway.

"He met Aro, Marcus and Caius, three much more civilised and refined vampires than the ones living in the London sewers. He stayed with them a while and it was there he met Harry. Carlisle was there two years before Harry arrived wanting to know more of vampires from vampires themselves, he and some of his friends and acquaintances had all been forcibly turned at the same time.

They had heard of Carlisle and so Harry and four of his friends also knew it was possible to be 'vegetarians', Harry had never met anyone outside of his group who abstained from human blood and Carlisle had never met or even heard of another vampire living off of animals. Harry was born in 1780." Bella did the quick math in her head.

"I won't go into detail of their courtship, kept hidden from humans because they were both male, they found solace in one another.

Carlisle had been lonely for over one-hundred years and Harry was barely twenty years into his vampire life and still grieving." Edward paused but continued before Bella could ask who Harry had been grieving.

"They decided to travel to The New World together and it was there that Carlisle was able to practise medicine while Harry branched into other avenues of education, he hadn't formally studied human teachings before, his aunt and uncle refused to let him have a tutor even if he used his departed parent's money. And soon they came to Chicago.

Carlisle had never changed another person into a vampire before so he was a bit unsure but he turned me to avoid my death and brought me back to the house he and Harry were living in, posing as cousins."

Edward led Bella gently to his room.

* * *

xxx

Harry loved their baseball games, it was as close to Quidditch as he could get really, seeing as brooms went far too slow for his vampire speed and he wouldn't be able to play anyway.

He did like to just fly but if he ever wanted to do that he used the Hogwarts pitch after he finished teaching for the day, it was easier and safer on all accounts.

Unfortunately his children had a predilection for cheating or arguing during a match so he and (normally) Carlisle took it in turns to play and referee.

Harry was standing with Bella to the side when the vision struck Alice, three nomadic vampires; human blood drinkers had heard their game and come to investigate.

Harry's heart plummeted.

And he stared with unabashed worry and fear at Bella.

Harry swapped positions with Edward but none of them were properly playing anymore, too tense and too worried to pay attention.

They were right to worry when it appeared James, one of the nomad vampires, seemed intent on tracking and draining Bella. It seemed he enjoyed challenges and they had handed him a rather good one all neatly wrapped up with a bow.

* * *

xxx

Rosalie refused to swap clothes with Bella and she was the only female roughly the same size as Bella, Alice was much too small.

So Edward turned to Harry. Harry frowned but he swung Bella gently up into his arms and into a dark room just up the stairs.

"What are we doing?" Bella asked curiously as Harry set her down on her feet.

"Trying to confuse the smell, it won't work for long but it might help you escape with more ease. And I'm the closest to your size apart from Rosalie." Harry answered. Bella heard his clothes dropping on the floor but couldn't see anything in the dark. Harry suddenly and inexplicably chuckled in amusement.

Bella turned a questioning face his way even as she fumbled with the buttons of her shirt.

"This isn't the first time I've had to wear woman's clothes. I am very glad you wear trousers and shirts, dresses are so restricting. Especially lace filled, frilly ones. I had to wear it to escape the Malfoy dungeons." Harry commented still sounding amused.

"I don't think I'll fit..." Bella said hesitantly but Harry just tugged off her shirt. Bella pulled down her own jeans putting on the material shirt Harry passed her way.

Harry somehow was already dressed in Bella's clothes, and he deftly rolled up the hems of his trousers on Bella's smaller form a couple of times so she could walk before picking her back up and running downstairs faster than she could blink.

Harry's clothes on her were tight in some places and too loose in others and it was the same for him. He didn't have curves, he was male after all, and her shoulders weren't quite as broad as Harry's which were straining the fabric of Bella's shirt slightly.

"Hi mum." Emmett teased when he saw Harry dressed in Bella's clothes. Harry shrugged.

"It's better than a 19th century style dress; more comfortable than a corset too." Harry bantered back. A few flitting smiles appeared on the others faces before they all turned serious again in the theat.

Carlisle handed each of the Cullens a small silver mobile phone. Harry was handed an odd metal case, the phone inside and a reminder to be careful with it. Apparently electronics didn't do so well with Harry.

When it was Harry and Rosalie's turn to be the distraction, leaving the Cullen house, by taking Bella's truck and Harry wearing Bella's clothes and so her scent Harry gently touched Bella's cheek and told her to be careful.

He hoped everyone would be alright, James was (according to Laurent, the other male vampire nomad) lethal.

* * *

xxx

They found Bella soon after they landed in Phoenix.

For some reason Bella had escaped Alice and Jasper (who were looking after her) and gone to meet with James at the Dance Studio Alice kept seeing in her visions.

Edward was near frantic rushing past all of them with more speed than Harry had thought was possible even for a vampire.

They came across Bella's broken and bleeding form. Emmett and Jasper immediately began to dispose of James while Edward dropped to the floor by Bella and Carlisle immediately began examining the extent of Bella's wounds.

It wasn't until she shrieked that her hand was burning that they realised she had been bitten. Harry even amidst all the desperation stilled at the look on Edward's face, such a broken agonised look as he pleaded with Carlisle to help her.

But Carlisle was too focused on tending to Bella to suck out the venom and Alice was barely keeping her control as it was. Edward turned agonised eyes to Harry. Harry shook his head.

"I can't. I haven't fed in more than three weeks...Edward, I barely managed to tear away when I changed Emmett and his blood wasn't a sweet as hers." Harry whispered doing all he could to help Carlisle. Harry's eyes were black, he was more than hungry, he wouldn't be able to control himself if he even attempted to suck the venom out of Bella.

He could resist the scent but not the taste.

Harry had thought he couldn't feel prouder of Edward before but he was wrong.

The sense of pride he felt when Edward managed to suck the venom out of Bella's hand and then stop was beyond all Harry had felt.

Like when sharks scented blood they got completely blinded by it so did vampires and tasting it made it worse.

A vampire could be threatened on all sides by other vampires but ignore them in favour of draining a human body, totally oblivious to their surroundings.

Harry likened it to the Imperius curse only there wasn't really a way to defend against it. You were powerless to the scent, taste, look of blood and only exposure to it could lessen the thrall.

Harry, Emmett and Jasper left Phoenix to return to Forks and Rosalie before Charlie or Renee, called by Alice, arrived.

It would be better if they were in Forks, Harry supposedly looking after Rosalie, Emmett and Jasper while Carlisle was supposedly being a responsible parent and going with Edward and Alice to meet with Bella and convince her to come back to Forks. That was their story.

That and Bella having fallen down two flights of stairs and through a window...Alice was a little too gleeful at constructing that event.

When they all returned to Forks (except Renee) Charlie was more than a little irritated by Edward, he seemed to hold him responsible for Bella's 'accident' and he was almost kissing Carlisle's feet in thankfulness for medically helping his daughter.

Harry he had treated with a little wariness when he dropped round more dinners for both Bella and Charlie but that soon disappeared after one of their quiet chats.

Harry was more than relieved they had all survived the encounter with James, even if the female vampire had escaped them. But whenever he looked at Edward's torn even agonised expression when he was thinking of Bella Harry couldn't help but feel a sickly foreboding feeling in his gut.

* * *

xxx

Rosalie and Emmett decided to go to Africa for the summer, they returned for Bella's birthday party that Alice had decided to throw for Bella, Emmett had wanted to be there, Rosalie still emphatically did not like Bella.

Charlie now seemed to tolerate Edward but he adored Alice, probably because Alice had helped Bella do things like shower etc when she was still recovering from the Phoenix incident.

Every single one of the Cullen's were excited for the birthday party, the last one they had held was for Emmett in 1935.

Harry even thought Rosalie seemed more cheerful despite herself.

Harry eyed Carlisle in his tuxedo with relish. It seemed the feeling was returned as Carlisle didn't take his eyes off of Harry either. Harry walked over to Carlisle as though dragged by an invisible force, he could not stay away. Carlisle met him half way, gently tracing Harry's cheek with his hand before drawing Harry into dance, to the music he had just put on.

Harry and Carlisle twirled around, dancing dances they had both learnt with the Volturi in Italy and along their travels; it was an odd unique dance, suited to them. They constantly switched lead, probably too subtle for most people to even notice the changeover.

Harry had not particularly liked dance lessons as a teenager but he had to learn them, they were essential for all the balls he had to attend being the last Potter, and Lord of his house. Not to mention the defeater of Voldemort.

But dancing with Carlisle was like flying, utterly freeing while somehow tethering him to reality.

They had spent hours at a time dancing unaware of anything but each other many times over the years they had enjoyed together especially during the beginning of their courtship.

Harry's eyes were locked on Carlisle's and the world faded around them as they danced lost in each other. It was like drowning only without the panic and breathlessness, drifting with the waves unable to control your direction, only able to relax and drift where swept.

They lost all sense of time, all recollection of coherent thought as they flew across the floor of the large living room, steps always in time, graceful with the dips and twirls.

It was with reminiscent grins that they danced the more risqué dances of the 1800s; with fond smiles they danced the more socially acceptable dances and with warm looks and eyes declaring their love for all to see they danced the slow dances.

Neither noticed Alice clearing the room and decorating it for the party or as their children watched them occasionally, with contentment nor did they notice Jasper edging closer and eventually settling himself down in the corner of the room drawn in by the peaceful and above all joyful emotions radiating from the two men.

It was rare for Jasper to feel utterly content basking in others emotions.

* * *

xxx

Bella hesitated as she and Edward made their way to the Cullen house, she really did not want a birthday party. And knowing Alice it was bound to be too much.

As they entered the living room however Bella's breath caught. She barely noticed all the pink candles dotted about, the masses of roses or the light pink birthday cake with glass plates stacked next to it. Her eyes were drawn to the couple dancing oh so elegantly in the middle of the room.

Her eyes widened and she stood still just watching enraptured by the graceful motions. It was different to Jasper and Alice and Rosalie and Emmett dancing at the prom a few weeks ago because Carlisle and Harry were dancing unaware of their audience, just dancing for themselves and they didn't have to hide their vampirism.

Bella felt the slight urge to look away from the mesmerising sight feeling like she was intruding a private moment but she couldn't tear her eyes away. She felt Edward wrap his arm around her waist and just stand there with her eyes fixed on the two dancing (it was more like flying, gliding) painfully beautiful men.

It wasn't exactly the dancing that was so captivating but the emotions so evident by the soulful green eyes and shining from Carlisle's own gold orbs.

You could never doubt Carlisle and Harry's love, it was in every action every word spoken but it was different, so utterly obvious as they danced, like sunlight over a rippling stream.

They flowed and fit so well it was like staring at a waterfall, or a particularly beautiful sunset or sunrise. No, they were more like the ocean sparkling on a clear summer's day, Bella eventually decided.

She eventually managed to look away only to find Emmett holding Rosalie in his arms both of them watching with such tender, raw emotions and Alice and Jasper were in a like position. Jasper for once seemed utterly at ease, his usual military posture relaxed slightly and his face softened. Bella snuck a look at Edward's face to find the same peacefulness cover the set of his features as well.

Bella couldn't help but feel she was getting an exclusive insight to the Cullen family and their unique dynamic. She relaxed into Edward's side and returned her attention to the men flowing like water through the room.

About fifteen minutes into Bella and Edward's arrival Carlisle and Harry's motions seemed to slow and in less than five minutes they were just swaying in place gazes locked. Slowly, as though they were swimming through treacle to reach reality they broke their intense gaze.

Bella got the feeling that if he still could Harry would be flushing red when he realised they were all just watching. Harry blinked slowly as if dazed.

"You haven't been waiting long have you? How long have we been dancing? I do apologise..." Harry trailed off looked slightly mortified. Carlisle chuckled although there was a regretful twist to his lips as he tugged Harry into his chest.

Harry's voice seemed to have broken the spell their dance had caused and Jasper's posture returned to normal, his face tight, Rosalie's smile drifted from her face, Emmett regained his usual cheeky grin, Alice stirred and Edward stepped away from Bella slightly.

"Don't apologise." Bella protested, she was grateful none of the attention had been on her when she first arrived and the dance had been...magnificent not something Harry should feel embarrassed by. "It was...utterly beautiful." She finished quietly completely sincere. Harry eyes softened slightly at her words and a warm smile crossed his lips.

"Well, Happy Birthday, Bella. I know you dislike a fuss being made of you but I hope you enjoy yourself." Harry said warmly and Bella flushed but couldn't quite muster up the annoyance she had felt mere seconds ago for the party being thrown for her.

"Yes, we did attempt to rein Alice in." Carlisle joked gently.

* * *

xxx

Harry watched quietly content, surrounded by his immediate family, as Bella unwrapped the silver wrapping paper around an empty box that displayed a car stereo. Even Rosalie smiled at Bella's confused thanks.

"Emmett's installing it now so you can't return or refuse it." Edward explained.

Emmett chuckled as he bounced back into the room to watch Bella open Alice and Edward's present.

It was then that the previously peaceful joy they all felt disappeared.

"Shoot." Bella muttered as she managed to slice her finger with the wrapping paper in a shallow paper cut. Harry could see a drop of blood well up from her finger with dawning horror.

"No!" Edward exclaimed knocking Bella back and crashing into Jasper who had leapt for Bella eyes fixed on the small droplet of blood. Bella crashed into the glass plates and Harry held his breath eyes still wide as blood began to stream from the myriad of cuts now littering Bella's arms from the broken plates.

"Emmett, Rose, get Jasper outside." Carlisle ordered voice calm and quiet but definitely commanding.

Rosalie her face slightly smug and Emmett, unsmiling, dragged Jasper outside staying away from his snapping teeth and ignoring his snarls.

Harry cleaned and set up the dining table for Carlisle to use to remove the glass from Bella's wounds carefully breathing in and out relaxing when he found he could control himself fine. Harry could deal with blood being split in front of him but he wouldn't trust himself to be able to bite someone and then stop.

He had bitten Emmett to turn him, but only because Carlisle wasn't there and because Rosalie had begged. It had been down to Rosalie's pleading face and Emmett's dying eyes, much the same colour as Teddy's had been when in his natural form, that Harry had managed not to drain Emmett...it had been close though, too close.

Harry smiled a little sadly at Bella who looked rather woozy.

Harry had studied medicine under Carlisle's tutelage years ago so he knew enough to help. To be honest Harry could probably qualify as a doctor properly if he felt the inclination. Harry gathered Carlisle's equipment while watching Alice and Edward carefully.

Bella, Alice and Carlisle managed to convince Edward to go and comfort Jasper who was likely feeling wretched when he came back to his senses. Harry felt a pang of sympathy; it was so difficult for Jasper, such a massive difference to the first years of his vampire life.

Alice too left the room an apologetic look sent Bella's way. Harry went to the kitchen and got Bella a glass of cool water.

Bella sighed.

"Well that's everyone. I can clear the room at least." Bella commented. Harry smiled at her when he returned with the water, he held it for her to sip from, her arms were being treated.

"It's not your fault, it could happen to anyone." Carlisle soothed intent on his work.

"Could. But it usually happens to me." Bella responded dryly.

Carlisle laughed and Harry smiled.

Bella eyed Harry and Carlisle's relaxed expressions.

"How can you do this? Even Alice..." Bella trailed off.

"Years and years of practice." Carlisle replied. "I barely notice the scent of blood anymore."

Harry grimaced and Bella looked at him curiously knowing it wasn't the same for him, she was very astute.

"I...I have spent years practising as well, about two-hundred years to Carlisle's three-hundred but I...has Edward ever told you about Teddy?" Harry asked struggling to explain. Bella shook her head with a curious frown.

"He was my godson but his parents were murdered mere months after he was born. So Teddy lived with me and his grandmother. I was seventeen and I adored him. Teddy pulled me out of the slight depression I was in at the time, a lot of my friends had died and someone I thought of as a brother...He was my son in all but blood. He was five when the massacre happened and I was bitten along with some of my friends and many people I knew were killed. By the time I was confident enough in my control to be around Teddy, I knew no vampires able to restrain me if I fell under bloodlust, I was the most restrained of all the vampires I had met at that point, I found out Teddy had died from sickness. That is how I resist blood; for how can I take away someone else's Teddy?" Harry explained haltingly.

Bella accepted his explanation with shocked and compassionate brown eyes.

"Also Carlisle reckons because I was used to going without food for long periods of time that I could adjust better." Harry continued. Bella frowned in thought.

"Do you think it would be harder if you took a vacation from the hospital for a long time? And weren't around any blood?" Bella asked Carlisle while still eyeing Harry thoughtfully.

"Maybe." Carlisle shrugged his shoulders, but his hands remained steady. "I've never felt the need for an extended holiday." He flashed a brilliant smile. "I enjoy my work too much."

Harry chuckled at Carlisle's understatement. The only times Carlisle ever took a break was when Harry went to visit his friends and that was never for more than a month at a time.

Harry lost himself in his own thoughts as he left to clear up the blood with some strong bleach in the other room. He tuned out Carlisle's and Bella's conversation about Carlisle's faith, why he had bitten Edward and Edward's mother absently.

The look on Edward's face as he left Bella to speak with Jasper was playing in Harry's mind.

It was a dead, flat look but there was burning determination and a set to Edward's lips that Harry didn't like.

He was right to feel apprehensive.

That night, once Edward returned after seeing Bella to sleep like he always did, he informed them, pleaded with them that they were all going to leave Forks. Leave Bella behind for her own safety.

Harry was crushed. He quite liked Bella so far and Edward seemed so alive and happy with her. But it was Edward's choice. He would miss Charlie.

The others left first until it was only Carlisle, Harry and Edward still in Forks. They had to wait a few days so Carlisle could leave as his contract with the hospital stated.

It was on the day Edward was going to tell Bella they were leaving, a 'clean break' he had stated in an emotionless tone, that Harry went to the Police Station to inform Charlie that they were leaving.

Harry entered the small police station slowly and since the secretary liked him (she tried to flirt with him) she let him go to Charlie's office. Harry knocked waiting utterly still and silent for Charlie to let him in or tell him to just enter.

Harry opened the door at Charlie's call and smiled slightly, Charlie was sitting at his desk doing paperwork.

"Hello Charlie." Harry greeted, his voice sounded strained to his ears and it seemed Charlie caught that as he waved Harry into the seat in front of the desk.

"Harry, is something wrong?" Charlie asked brows furrowing. Harry shook his head and sighed.

"I just came to say...we're leaving Forks." Harry stated baldly reminding himself to blink even as he toyed with the edges of his jacket. Charlie was not stupid; he leaned back in his seat.

"You mean your whole family is leaving." Charlie clarified and Harry nodded miserably.

"Carlisle got offered a position at another hospital..." This was true but not the reason they were leaving. "It was a short window of opportunity so we had three days to pack up and leave." Harry swallowed. "I wanted to say goodbye before we left. We're leaving tonight."

Charlie sighed gustily a sudden thought making him frown in concern.

"What about Edward and Bella? Are they going to still...date...just long distance?" Charlie asked his protective concern for his daughter obvious. Harry felt wretched, he genuinely loved Forks, he had a friend he had known for three years in Charlie and he had liked the idea of Bella in their family.

Harry shrugged.

"Edward's a teenager...He doesn't confide much to us." He didn't need to; they all knew each other quite well. Charlie coughed slightly awkwardly, he didn't know how to deal with a teenage daughter nor did he really want to think too much about her dating.

"Well Forks won't be quite the same without you or Dr. Cullen." Charlie eventually said gruffly. Harry smiled, it disappeared quickly.

"I'll miss Forks...it's such a lovely place. I'll keep in contact." Harry promised looking round the small office wistfully. "I hope you don't starve under your cooking, at least Bella is good at making dinner for you."

Charlie grinned slightly at the teasing jab and he ran a hand through his thinning curly brown hair, he would be sad to see Harry go and the rest of the family seemed nice and good.

Harry said his goodbyes and left to join Carlisle in the car that was packed and ready to leave.

Edward wasn't going to come with them; he was going to tell Bella.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer.

I have posted the beginnings of the Carlisle/Harry romance in Italy. That is about their romance (so it has the M rated smut) and how it began, it is called Harmonic Cacophony.

* * *

Chapter 8:

(8/11)

True to his word Harry kept in contact with Charlie even when Charlie snapped at him out of worry for his daughter who he described was acting like a zombie.

Obviously the Cullen's were no longer one of Charlie's favourite families.

Edward dropped in on Harry and Carlisle nearly as often as once a month, Jasper studied at night, Alice researched her history (her human life) from the information James had given them in Phoenix-she had never remembered anything about being human so she was essentially searching blind until the clues from James, Rosalie and Emmett went on a several month long honeymoon.

Harry felt slightly lost.

He could see Edward slowly splitting at the seams and when he hadn't visited them in eight weeks straight Harry had tracked him down and found him in a rather grotty hotel room eyes pitch black with extreme thirst.

Harry had cajoled, bullied and coaxed Edward out, making him hunt, making him take a shower, buying him fresh clean clothes.

Edward was not coping.

Harry didn't leave him after that, he called Carlisle and explained he was going to stay with Edward for a bit. Carlisle had wanted to come over too but Harry convinced him to stay, Carlisle did like his night shifts at the hospital.

Edward didn't really seem to get any better with Harry around but at least he was clean and fed properly now. When Edward left the apartment they were sharing with a single scrawled note saying he had gone, Harry let him be. Edward visited every month once again.

Carlisle was more than relieved to have Harry back with him.

Harry entered some night art courses, he had always enjoyed sketching and it would be good to learn other techniques like sculpting or painting. It also dulled his thoughts, it was soothing creating something and it was a respite from worrying about his stubborn son.

Harry immersed himself in learning and art, anything to take his mind off his sons torment.

According to his phone calls Bella wasn't getting better either. Charlie didn't harp on about his dislike of Edward, even he noticed the strain and worry in Harry's voice whenever Edward was mentioned.

Harry did enjoy a visit from Severus, which was an unexpected delight. Unexpected because Alice was out at the time when Severus decided to visit and he arrived only two hours after he had made his decision to come.

Severus had been working on a new potion that would be used like sun cream to make sure they could go out in the sun and not sparkle. It was a good invention apart from the side effect. It turned their skin purple for a few hours afterwards.

Unlike Harry, Severus had explored the full potential of his magical and vampire abilities and was often irked by Harry's reluctance to do the same. Harry let Severus do some tests on him, do certain spells Severus asked etc. It was nice to see him because their contact was infrequent.

Carlisle still seemed slightly shocked (but mostly amused) by Severus's acerbity.

Harry was away visiting some of his friends who had been turned at the party too (not Ron and Hermione this time), he still kept in contact despite their different diets.

It was while he was away that Alice had the vision of Bella jumping from the cliff and she immediately made her way to Forks to make sure Charlie was coping after his daughter's death.

It was the next day that Harry found out Rosalie had passed on Alice's vision to Edward and that he was contemplating suicide by forcing the Volturi's hand. Not good.

Apparently Bella was actually alive, not dead, as Alice hadn't seen her being saved by her friend Jacob and Alice and Bella were racing to Italy to show Edward that Bella wasn't dead and to stop him from dying.

They could do nothing. Harry could do nothing. He wouldn't make it in time to Volterra. Jasper was extremely apprehensive for Alice's safety and Harry waited dreading the thought that soon Alice, Edward and Bella could easily be dead. Harry sorely wished he could still apparate as a vampire or that there was a convenient floo area near to Volterra.

Rosalie looked wretched, she hadn't told Edward out of spite and she never would have expected him to react this way. Emmett had a serious expression on his face; it was such a contrast to his usual jokey grin that Harry couldn't look at him for long.

And Jasper...

Harry didn't know what Jasper would do if Alice was harmed let alone...

Harry was not particularly good at waiting when others were in danger; his skin seemed to itch every time he tried to stay still but when he paced he felt a crushing sense of helplessness.

"Stop pacing!" Jasper snapped. Harry halted hands clenched by his sides as he resisted the urge to snap back.

"Hey, now." Emmett attempted to diffuse the anger stifling in the room they were in before they could catch the next flight to Seattle.

Harry sighed, eyes snapping open and tracing over Jasper with a piercing intensity. Employing what little occlumency Harry could actually use (he was still utter shite at it but Severus attempted to teach him whenever they met and he could at times manage to block Severus out of his mind but his control of it was rudimentary at best).

Jasper relaxed minutely when Harry's emotions hid behind the shallow, flimsy wall in his mind. Obviously Jasper's own emotions were bringing Jasper close to snapping point but he had to deal with everyone else's panic, worry and crippling terror as well.

"Give Jasper a little space, our emotions are amplifying his." Harry ordered his voice flat and eyes shuttered, he had to concentrate hard so he wouldn't put more strain on Jasper. And this actually seemed to help Harry because he now had a goal to focus on, a mentally strenuous task that forced his crippling worry away for the moment.

Harry didn't know how long he spent concentrating on his flimsy mental shields, he vaguely realised Carlisle was guiding him onto a plane, discretely holding up some of his weight.

He only snapped back to reality when Jasper received a phone call and the expression on his face was burning relief. Jasper soon informed them that Alice, Bella and Edward were fine and that they would arrive at Sea-Tac Airport in a few hours time.

Harry dropped his feeble mental shields with a groan. Jasper almost lurched at the sudden mass of emotions he could feel from Harry. Harry was a rather emotional person naturally and almost startlingly in tune with his emotions.

"Thank you." Jasper stated his sincerity evident. Harry didn't ask what he was thanking him for.

Harry leant against Carlisle, exhausted. Vampires didn't get tired in the literal sense, they didn't need to sleep, couldn't sleep even but they could feel mental exhaustion. Well Harry could.

He was drained from holding up his mental shields for so long.

Harry felt rising anger for Edward making them worry so but this was quickly quenched by the utter relief.

Harry didn't think he had ever been so relieved before in his life.

Waiting after that, knowing the three were safe was far more tolerable and Harry relaxed into Carlisle's side appreciating the hand stroking his hair soothingly. Occlumency always left Harry with an awful headache, even more so since Harry had been turned; Harry assumed it was because his magic had gone weird.

Finally the plane Alice had told them they were on landed and Rosalie stayed behind, Emmett with her, by the cars, Rosalie looked awful (well not really she was absolutely beautiful) but Harry didn't have to be a mind reader or an empath to know she felt utterly wretched, flooded with guilt.

Harry waited anxiously with Carlisle just a little behind Jasper who was already searching for Alice.

* * *

xxx

Bella saw Jasper first and Alice immediately went to him, they didn't embrace, they stared into each other's eyes and the moment felt so private Bella had to look away.

Harry and Carlisle were behind Jasper and Harry gently embraced Bella, which was a little difficult since Edward didn't let Bella go.

"Thank you." Harry whispered before turning agonised green eyes to Edward.

Harry punched Edward in the shoulder and it was such an unexpected action from Harry's extremely gentle countenance normally that Bella blinked in shock. Edward too seemed a little surprised by Harry's odd actions.

"You promised me you wouldn't do anything suicidal!" Harry said in a broken voice. Edward recoiled from the thoughts projecting from Harry's mind, the pain in them was debilitating. Edward let go of Bella with one arm (the other still holding her gently) reaching for Harry's arm.

"I'm sorry if I brought back memories of Teddy..." Edward began but stopped when Harry chuckled his green eyes no longer spitting mad but a mixture of relieved and so loving it almost hurt to look at.

"Oh you silly boy." Harry muttered pulling both Edward and Bella into his arms. "Teddy is dead. You aren't, I was worried about _you_. You, Alice and Bella, not Teddy." Harry shook his head fondly as he let them go.

"Sorry dad." Edward apologised.

Bella stepped forward as Edward was greeting Carlisle and she stumbled slightly, even in Edward's arms. Harry reached out to steady her, a useless action since Edward had already done so. Harry looked at her worriedly.

"She's very tired." Harry stated placing the back of his hand on Bella's forehead to check her temperature. The moment Harry's hand touched the bare skin of her forehead he stiffened and would have toppled over had Carlisle not caught him.

Bella blinked briefly feeling a little more awake. She thought vampires couldn't go unconscious or sleep...so what was wrong with Harry?

Suddenly Edward gasped and held Bella to him slightly more tightly a painful look in his eyes and Harry blinked looking slightly confused, he was also rubbing his chest as though it ached, much in the same place where Bella had felt as though there was a gaping hole in her own chest while Edward was gone.

Carlisle examined Harry with his eyes brow crinkled in concern.

"I'm fine. It was probably more shocking because of the occlumency earlier." Harry soothed quietly before spearing Bella with an unfathomable look.

"Edward leaving really messed you up." Harry stated simply, truthfully. Bella grimaced feeling a wave of tiredness overwhelm her. She nodded, there was no point denying it. Edward winced.

Harry moved away to hug Alice.

Harry frowned rubbing his head, it still ached.

He, Carlisle, Alice and Jasper were in one car and Rosalie, Emmett, Edward and Bella were in the other.

Harry watched as Edward carried Bella into Charlie's house, she was nearly comatose, asleep on her feet. Harry went over to them as Charlie started shouting at Edward, Bella diffused Charlie's anger and Edward carried Bella to her bed before coming back down.

Harry massaged his head again.

He felt guilt well up when he realised just how much Bella being involved with Edward had hurt Charlie. There was the time Bella had shouted at Charlie that she couldn't live in Forks so he wouldn't protest as she left to escape from James and when they had all left. Harry rubbed his chest feeling the phantom pain.

When he had touched Bella's forehead skin to skin he had felt an overwhelming agony in his chest area and a sense of utter and complete despair. It had been very similar to the feeling he had gotten from Edward one of the times he had touched him too during Bella and Edward's separation.

Harry was silent on the ride home.

* * *

xxx

Harry looked at Bella eyeing her determined features with a strange sense of strangled hope.

Bella had called the meeting, it was one in the morning and she had slept for little over fourteen hours straight. They were going to vote over Bella being turned.

The Volturi had given them an ultimatum; either Bella was turned or killed.

Harry's vote was second to last, just before Carlisle and his thoughts raced.

Rosalie had said no, but then she was out of all of them wanted to be human again the most. She didn't want to dam Bella to a vampire life. Edward had been emphatic in his refusal but everyone else (apart from Rosalie and Carlisle-he hadn't had his say yet-) said yes.

Harry could feel Bella's eyes on him and he winced.

"I...I..." Harry paused and looked at Bella and the slight hurt she was showing.

"I want you to be part of our family, and I want you to be a vampire because it would be easier on us as a family, not to mention you, and remove the threat from the Volturi but..." Harry paused as thought seeking the correct words very carefully.

Bella watched Harry worriedly; she was sure if Harry was against it then Carlisle too would be and Carlisle was probably the one person who she needed to say yes the most.

"Being a vampire is not nearly as...I can't say I was happier as a human but...We'd be taking so much from you." Harry finished in a whisper. He looked from Bella and Edward and then frowned at the table.

"I think you fit and I would be honoured to count you as another of our children...but there's Charlie and your mother. Charlie would be...devastated if you disappeared. I think you should wait a few years at least...but it's not my choice...Yes." Harry finished looking at the table face torn with guilt at what he thought of as betrayal to his friend Charlie and a tiny bit of guilty relief.

Edward destroyed the piano and the table in the lounge room when Carlisle said yes as well.

"So Alice?" Bella asked looking far too calm. Alice's eyes widened in horror and fear. Bella then turned to Harry and Carlisle.

Looking at Edward's black glare and enraged face Harry declined Bella, he would not turn her. Well he would if she asked him properly or if she was dying but not like this. And not before she made a plan to make sure Charlie wasn't hurt too much.

Carlisle said he would if Bella wanted but Edward managed to delay it until after Bella's graduation.

Harry sighed in relief as Bella and Edward left, Edward looking more calculating than angry now.

He walked into the lounge and stifled the urge to scream Edward's name.

He pinched the bridge of his nose.

The remains of Edward's piano littered the floor along with Harry's favourite coffee table, it had been a gift from Severus and the wood it was made from had an odd effect on potions.

Emmett boomed a laugh and Harry turned to glare at him, Emmett just laughed harder.

Harry surveyed the wreckage mournfully, a 'reparo' would not fix this, maybe the table but not the piano, it was such a shame too, the piano was exquisite.

Harry cleared it up mind still dwelling on Bella and her decision to become a vampire.

* * *

xxx

Harry smiled to himself over the rumours about their return to Forks.

Carlisle had spread round that Harry didn't like L.A. and was miserable away from Forks...it was true after all just not really for the reasons he implied.

Harry held the tray of baking so the rain wouldn't make it all soggy and knocked on Charlie's door.

Charlie opened it looking grumpy, his expression lightened a little when he saw Harry there and the tray of cinnamon rolls, pastries and muffins. Harry placed the tray in the kitchen calling a greeting to Edward and Bella who were sitting and filling in college applications for Bella.

Harry pretended to drink the cup of tea Charlie made him. Charlie kept sending glares in Edward's direction and Harry pretended he didn't see.

Charlie was shocked to hear Edward had gotten accepted in Harvard and Dartmouth and he didn't miss the fact both Bella and Edward had been accepted into the University of Alaska Southeast. Charlie shot a crafty look at Harry.

"Surely you would rather Edward go to the Ivy League than the University of Alaska?" Charlie prodded. Harry grinned in amusement.

"I dropped out of school before my seventeenth birthday, Charlie, I'm just glad he's continuing his education." Harry commented. Charlie looked at him in surprise and Bella sent him a curious look.

"Why did you drop out?" Charlie asked curiously.

"Some of the teachers were trying to kill me." Harry said truthfully knowing Charlie would take it as Harry joking; it was quite amazing how often Harry could tell the truth and people would just brush it off as a joke. Sure enough Charlie chuckled. Bella shot him a sharp glance however and Harry mentally groaned, he had forgotten how astute she was.

"So I dropped out of school with my two best friends and we jumped over the pond. America is so much larger than England after all." Harry elaborated. Again Charlie and Bella looked surprised.

"I didn't know you grew up in the U.K." Charlie stated eyebrows raised.

"Well I lived in England and Scotland for seventeen years then jumped around Europe. I met Carlisle in Italy we got married and moved to America. Then we adopted the brats." Harry explained with a fond smile sent in Edward's direction.

Harry rubbed his head as they lapsed back into silence.

"Are you alright, Dad?" Edward asked watching Harry's pained grimace. Harry waved off the concern.

"I'm fine." Harry muttered getting rid of a bit of his tea, Edward noticed the slight pinch to Harry's mouth and cursed the fact he couldn't accurately read Harry's mind once more.

"Are you sure?" Edward asked with a worried glance in Bella's direction. Harry resisted the urge to frown; he was going to have to tell Edward what was wrong otherwise he would worry about Bella's safety for the rest of the evening.

"Yeah, it seems like Theodore has decided to drop by soon." Harry attempted to sound nonchalant as though it was a passing acquaintance coming to say 'hi' rather than a man Harry honestly detested and had hoped he could avoid forever. He failed miserably even Bella and Charlie noticed his extreme distaste of the man.

Harry didn't know how Theodore had been turned but he knew it was around the same time as the massacre at the party, a party Theodore hadn't attended.

Edward's eyes tightened.

"I am sure Carlisle, Emmett, Jasper and I will be able to keep him away from you." Edward reassured. Harry grimaced.

"He's a psychopath, he enjoys mind games and I was the one who escaped, he's out for my blood, I'm still not sure how he got out of prison." Harry muttered irritably rubbing his head again.

"He won't hurt you again." Edward soothed rubbing Harry's arm gently, Harry seemed to always relax when offered tactile comfort. Harry snorted.

"It's not me I'm worried for." Harry said looking at Edward pointedly, Theodore knew his family was a sure fire way of hurting Harry.

Harry stiffened when he realised he and Edward weren't alone, both Bella and Charlie seemed bemused by the conversation. Oops...Harry hadn't meant to reveal so much in front of either of them.

Harry drove home after his visit with Charlie slowly. Perhaps the newborn killing all those people in Seattle was somehow linked to Theodore's newly rekindled obsession with Harry?

Harry had only seen Theodore three times since they had been turned and none of those times had been pleasant, twice was before he even met Carlisle and the last time Carlisle had seemed to cower Theodore, Harry had also actually held his own in that fight too so Theodore had left to nurse his wounds.

Harry hadn't heard another peep from him in over 100 years.

But from Alice's vision earlier he was back on Harry's trail.

Not good.

And Edward, well Bella, had informed them that there was a pack of shape-shifters in the Reservation again and this time the pack was larger than the three there had been when Carlisle managed to negotiate a treaty, it helped that Harry had saved the life of Ephraim Black's wife and young son.

Also the Cullen family then had five members so outnumbered the pack so it was in the pack's advantage to agree to a treaty.

Alice and Jasper hadn't joined them at that point.

* * *

xxx

Harry looked at his children then to the map where the boundary was drawn for where they and were allowed, they would break the treaty if they crossed into the Quileute lands.

Edward had taken Bella to Jacksonville for the weekend to get her away from Forks. Alice had had a vision of Victoria coming to Forks so Edward had taken Bella out of harm's way.

Harry eyed the ambiguous areas where it wasn't really certain whose territory it was.

"Be careful, stay more than a meter away from the borders. The wolves are just waiting for an excuse to attack us." Harry cautioned. "Make sure they have no reason whatsoever." Harry ordered.

He still remembered the time before his fifth year, there was a Statue of Secrecy that had been set up a few years before Harry's birth and Harry had broken it to save him and his cousin from Dementors sent to attack him.

The ministry had leapt at the chance to attack him, no matter that it had been necessary to use magic to survive; they had been waiting on the merest flimsiest excuse.

From the animosity the wolves had for vampires, well, Harry was sure they were looking for any excuse for a fight. It seemed Emmett and Jasper weren't averse to fighting either much to both Rosalie and Alice's disgust.

Harry was paired with Rosalie as they ran the perimeter, where Alice had said Victoria would be.

Jasper and Emmett were running together while Alice and Carlisle ran around from the opposite direction.

Harry ran exulting in the speed but also keeping an eye out for bright red hair like a flame.

Suddenly the sound of ripping and snarling caught Harry's ears and he froze before immediately following the noise.

Victoria was dancing about on the exact line of the boundary teasing Emmett and Jasper and the wolves on the opposite side to Jasper and Emmett simultaneously. Harry was in motion even as Emmett leapt for the red haired vampire.

A large grey wolf snarled at Emmett as he missed Victoria (who had dodged and was running away) and landed almost on top of the large grey wolf.

Harry caught both Emmett and the big grey wolf with a stunner each as they were leaping at each other ready for a proper fight. The wolf lay on the ground for a second before shaking himself and standing back up with barely a wobble, the wolf had shaken off a stupefy in under a second.

Harry had dragged Emmett back with him and they returned to their side of the boundary, Emmett had shaken off the stunner just as quickly as the wolf.

The scuffle had taken a split second before it was over no blood spilt. Harry hit Emmett on the side of his head none to gently.

"You idiot! What did I tell you?!" Harry yelled at Emmett while Rosalie growled at the wolves standing in front of Emmett protectively. He turned as Carlisle and Alice appeared having witnessed the split second conflict. The wolves were growling at the Cullens teeth bared.

Harry rubbed his aching head a frown crinkling his eyebrows.

Emmett, Jasper and Edward tended to disregard the very real threat the Quileute pack could cause. Both the wolves and vampires were overly cocky in their chances of survival against each other and Harry found it infuriating.

The wolves could kill vampires, the Cullens could too. It would be far too even a match if it ever came to it and Harry doubted there would be any survivors.

"I apologise for overstepping the boundary." Harry stated to the wolves knowing Victoria was long gone now. Carlisle stepped next to Harry and Jasper sent soothing waves of calm to the wolves.

Both groups walked away without bloodshed. Just.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer.

Warnings: Mentions of disturbing themes, much like Rosalie's story...mentions of obliviate abuse, minor mentions of implied sexual abuse. More implied than anything else. Violence...um...

* * *

Chapter 9:

(9/11)

Bella sighed.

Alice had kidnapped her on Edward's orders so she didn't go to La Push to visit Jacob, even Alice seemed to think she was in danger when in company of the werewolves.

Alice had ordered good Italian take away and spent time giving Bella a pedicure but she didn't like being kept against her will.

She had wanted to go to La Push.

Harry also seemed to disapprove of Alice and Edward's actions much to Bella's surprise. He said it was too controlling and that he couldn't abide the prejudices between the wolves and the vampires.

Alice avoided Harry's gaze whenever they were in the same room. Harry had laughed at her when she did this and explained to Bella why Alice was slightly wary of doing something Harry so obviously frowned upon.

"Well, once, when my children were all being very bull headed and not listening I sort of may have taken an essential part of their cars out of every single car in the garage, even Carlisle's. They listened after that and three hours later had to admit I was right." Harry told her with a reminiscent smile, Harry had gotten them to stay inside instead of attending school, they hadn't listened when he had said blood would be spilt too close for them to be around.

They hadn't listened because Alice didn't have a vision and Harry had only told them on a tip from his friend Luna Lovegood (another vampire) whom they saw as well...not quite there, a few screws loose Harry thought the phrase was.

They had apologised later and Harry had given them the parts of their cars back, he had been able to take them out but not put them back in.

"Why is it that you're the only one who thinks I'm perfectly safe around the pack and Jacob?" Bella asked Harry grumpily as he chopped up some chicken for kebabs he was making Charlie.

Harry chuckled.

"I don't think you're perfectly safe around them." Harry stated simply. Bella turned to him mouth agape with surprise and a hint of outrage. Harry smiled and held up a hand to halt Bella's tirade before she even started.

"Don't get me wrong, I don't think you or anyone else is perfectly safe anywhere. And the wolves are dangerous but so are we; vampires are just as dangerous to you as adolescent wolves. And you are friends with Jacob; I don't think it is fair for Edward to say you can't see your friend. Carlisle isn't against you seeing them and Emmett doesn't see a problem. But the rest..." Harry trailed off and Bella smiled ruefully.

She felt better knowing that Harry also thought that Alice and Edward were being stupid.

"But why do you not have a problem with the werewolves?" Bella asked noting that Harry hadn't actually answered her question. Harry smiled.

"You don't miss much do you." Harry stated admiringly but explained at Bella's expectant look.

"When I was human my sort of second godfather, a man I much admired and thought of as an uncle, was a werewolf. Not a shape-shifter like the La Plush pack but a true werewolf, allergic to silver and turning to a mindless beast on a full moon. He was the kindest, gentlest man outside of his transformations and yet many people hated him just because of something that he couldn't control and only occurred once a month! It was prejudice, pure and simple." Harry finished with a slightly resigned bitterness. He smiled a little ruefully.

"Sorry, the subject is dear to me." Harry explained. Bella closed her open mouth.

"I didn't know there were actual werewolves other than the La Plush pack." Bella stated eyebrows furrowed in thought. Harry chuckled.

"Oh the La Plush pack aren't werewolves! They are shape-shifters it is only chance and a genetic quirk that they are all wolves instead of...eagles or bears." Harry corrected carefully putting some green pepper on each skewer.

"What happened to your...uncle, the werewolf?" Bella asked curiously wincing at her lack of tact once the question left her mouth. Harry smiled reminiscently.

"He...there was a war on that we were part of. In the final battle I found his dead body next to that of his wife, she had fallen protecting his corpse. They left behind their son and my godson, little Teddy." Harry explained smile slipping and Bella left the room as his green eyes darkened in memories, lost to the world now, stuck in his memories.

...

Bella lay on the couch in Edward's room thinking over Rosalie's sad story.

It was, as she had told Rosalie, nice to know the reasons why she didn't want Bella to be a vampire but her story had been...unpleasant to say the least.

A knock came from the door for the second time that night.

"Come in." Bella called. Harry stood at the entrance looking slightly discomfited before he wandered in looking from the empty large ornate bed to Bella who was situated on the couch with the huge gold duvet instead. His lips twitched and Bella knew he was resisting the urge to laugh.

Harry sat on the edge of the sofa; probably to make her feel more comfortable, standing up while others were sitting did tend to unnerve people normally.

"I couldn't help but hear Rosalie's and your conversation, privacy in a house of vampires is very hard to obtain." Harry said with an odd skew to his lips.

"It's probably not conductive to a goodnights sleep, hearing her story, is it?" Harry commented eyeing her slightly disturbed expression with sympathy.

"I suppose I wanted to come and explain why I too was reluctant in agreeing to you being turned...but I have already done so. I won't convince you to change your mind, that would be unfair." Harry stated. Bella frowned.

"Then, not that I don't like your company, what did you want to talk about?" Bella asked curiously. Harry chuckled without mirth.

"I am sure you have realised by now that none of our stories are particularly happy ones. I won't burden you with my story, I used to get nightmares when I was human I wouldn't wish them on anyone." Harry began. Bella eyed him curiously, now she wanted to know how he had been turned, what his story was.

"I suppose I wanted to make sure you make a fully informed decision when you decided to be turned. I don't suppose anyone has explained what it entails? The differences between humans and vampires?" Harry asked. Bella wordlessly shook her head, she was glad now Harry would tell her. Edward didn't want her to know about these things, he had been angry with Alice when he realised she had told Bella that their venom turned people over three days.

"Right. You know how painful a bite is, I am sure you remember the burning agony...I'm sorry to say it gets worse at the end. I think I screamed twice to begin with before realising screaming didn't help and I was used to torture, torture that is more painful than a vampire bite but not as long lasting." Bella blanched at the thought and Harry hurried on a little chagrined he had scared her.

"Anyway after it gets worse it stops suddenly, your heart stops and the pain ends. It is a magnificent feeling, the new strength and the lack of pain. But mere seconds into waking up newborn vampires become overwhelmed with thirst. It takes over everything; you would do anything for the succulent blood contained by fragile human containers. You lose all rational thought." Harry swallowed.

"I was very close to attempting to kill my friend. And apparently as a newborn I had exceptional control." Harry held Bella's gaze, his green eyes burning.

"My best friend who had also turned at the time attempted to kill me to get to the humans in the house or the streets in London. I still bear the scars. He has learned control now and he remains repentant for attacking me no matter how many times I tell him it wasn't his fault!" Harry shook his head a grin on his face. Bella could tell Harry was editing his story, keeping quiet the more gruesome aspects so as not to scare her so much, Bella wasn't sure whether to feel relieved or irritated. She went with relieved.

Harry rolled up the sleeve of his t-shirt to reveal his pale shoulder. He gently took Bella's hand so she could trace the outline of raised skin, a scar her eyes couldn't see in the darkened room. Bella gasped.

"That feels like my scar!" She exclaimed tracing the familiar shaped scar on her hand, the hand James had bitten.

Harry nodded.

"Yes, I was the most controlled out of all the newborns for some reason so I had to deal with them. There were no other older vampires around. I barely managed to save one of my friends who had saved us from the party, a newborn had bitten her but I got him off of her and protected her. It was one of the hardest things I had ever done, her blood was so tempting but I didn't breathe, I didn't smell the air and I made it. She was turned also. Luna didn't even seem fazed by it all; when she was fully turned she just turned to me and said 'oh, well that wasn't an experience I would like to repeat. But it wasn't half interesting.'" Harry chuckled.

"Blood. That is all a newborn wants, all it can focus on for a while, normally a year. They are also strong, far stronger than Emmett even. It is very hard to control a newborn and I have never been more thankful for my magic when I was dealing with more than ten newborns relatively alone." Harry paused rubbing his chest in remembered pain there was more to Luna's story and his ability to resist her blood in that instance but he didn't need to go into it now.

"Every human calls to vampires, even very old vampires. And Carlisle isn't counted as old by the way." Harry offered with a chuckle; a light snore hit his ears and he noticed Bella was sound asleep a tiny frown crinkling her forehead. Harry chuckled once more and left the room silently.

...

Harry was all set to berate Edward for having kidnapped Bella when he came back from hunting but surprisingly before he could even speak Edward nodded, reading his thoughts, and he agreed with him.

It had surprised Harry and pleased him. It was good Edward was attempting to get over his prejudice and trying to not be quite so overprotective of Bella.

But...

It seemed like he was just pretending, acting like it was all fine. Harry couldn't totally be sure seeing as Edward was a truly amazing actor (Harry was a truly appalling one).

* * *

xxx

Harry ran around Bella's house, it was his turn to keep guard, all the Cullens were taking turns and so was Jacob in his wolf form.

Harry started leaving out some food and a pair of trousers for the boy whenever he knew Jacob would turn up after Harry's shift, he even got the others to do so too.

According to Edward Jacob was not only patrolling around Bella's house but also doing his fair share of the patrols for Sam and the La Plush pack...the boy was probably exhausted.

Sometimes when Harry collected the plates they were empty and at others full...it was as if Jacob was torn by the decision to accept the vampires help. Harry left two pairs of trousers hidden at the base of a tree; Jacob would smell them out if he needed to.

Harry ignored the paper, the killings in Seattle were still rising in number and Harry had a feeling that there was more than one newborn running amok...it was not a cheering thought.

...

It was mere days before Edward, Alice and Bella's graduation when Edward walked into the house with Bella, they were both skipping school as was Alice.

Harry listened intently to Jasper's story as he told it to Bella, editing out the worst, he like all the others had heard it before but it held interest for Harry, he all too visibly recalled how a newborn vampire, how many newborn vampires, were.

But Jasper's tale of newborn armies was far more bloodthirsty and horrific than Harry's own dealings with a large collection of newborns.

Jasper being able to manipulate emotions but also feeling them from others lived by emotions. For his first century (nearly) as a vampire Jasper had lived surrounded by bloodlust, hate and anger and so inevitably he felt those emotions too. It was a sad cycle, a catch-22, and Harry was extremely glad that Peter had come back for Jasper and that Jasper had left Maria of his own free will.

Jasper had turned a blind eye when Peter ran away with Charlotte, and Peter and Jasper were friends. Maria had not been happy with Jasper for not even trying to kill Peter for his desertion.

Harry smiled at Jasper and Alice's clasped hands, they were so good for each other.

His smile faded when he realised the implications.

He had been correct there was more than one newborn loose in Seattle.

There was a newborn army.

Harry sighed, Jasper was going to teach them how to fight newborns, Harry hated fighting and he despised fighting newborns.

Newborns, generally, were so consumed by bloodlust that they had barely another thought in their minds apart from their next meal. They were feral, dangerous and their minds stuck on blood. They would tear through anything in their path for blood; literally, they were dangerous in their unthinking savagery their simple brute force charge.

Harry listened absently to Carlisle's phone call. He was calling the Denali Coven to see if they would help them destroy the newborn army set to attack them. Harry snapped to attention, flitting over to Carlisle's side when he heard the irritation in Carlisle's voice, he so seldom was irritated by anything.

"They won't help." Harry guessed frowning in confusion, why not?

Oh. Irina had loved Laurent and the wolves had killed him defending Bella. Irina wanted revenge on the wolves and the price for their help was destroying the wolves first.

Something none of the Cullen's would agree to.

Which meant the chances of all of the Cullen's surviving the battle against the newborns was low...too low.

Harry clasped Carlisle's hand and looked around at his children, Rosalie and Emmett, Alice and Jasper, Edward and Bella. Would this be the last week he saw them all together, all healthy and alive?

* * *

xxx

Harry groaned as Alice told him to put up some fairy lights in the drive so people knew where to go to get to their house. He grumpily made his way outside trailing the fairy lights over some trees swiftly then going back inside hoping to avoid Alice.

No such luck.

Alice was setting up the house for Bella, Alice and Edward's graduation party; she was going all out and had invited far too many people.

Harry, when he had finished the next task Alice set him to, snuck into Carlisle's study.

Carlisle chuckled as he watched Harry slink behind a book case and out of sight of anyone coming in through the door.

Harry frowned to himself getting his thoughts in order. Alice had told them all that Bella had worked out something. That the same vampire that had stolen some of Bella's clothes was taking it for the person running the newborn army, that the newborn army was targeting Bella specifically, not the Cullens.

At least they knew it wasn't the Volturi. It was Victoria getting her revenge for James's death. Well Harry assumed it was, Edward was still stuck on the suspicion that it was the Volturi.

Harry sighed and restlessly made his way over to Carlisle smiling when Carlisle tugged him gently onto his lap. Harry could feel the tension leave him as Carlisle mapped out his mouth in a deep kiss.

They didn't need oxygen so they could just sit their kissing for hours without pause...if the door hadn't swung open and Alice hadn't danced in.

Harry broke away from the kiss and whined pressing his head against Carlisle's shaking shoulder, Carlisle was laughing at him. Alice dragged him off Carlisle's lap and out of the room telling him what she needed done now. Carlisle laughed harder at Harry's petulant expression and grumpy faces sent at Alice's back.

Harry attempted to look welcoming and untroubled as people started pouring in for the party. How many people did Alice invite? 60? 70?

He thought he succeeded especially when people started talking to him, the humans avoided the rest of the Cullens...Harry thought it was probably due to the odd light in their living room that now resembled a night club, the light glanced off their too pale skin oddly. It also was probably due to the fact humans felt uneasy next to vampires...apart from Harry.

Harry knew the instant the three Quileute shape-shifters arrived, he could smell the wet dog smell...it wasn't very pleasant but then vampires smelled awful to the shifters as well. Harry edged towards Bella curiously, the wolves fascinated him and he hoped Jacob wasn't as tired as Edward had mentioned he was from all the extra patrols.

Harry stiffened as he caught the conversation and hope lit his eyes. Would the wolves really work with them to destroy the newborns and Victoria? With them the numbers would be far more in both of their favours...the newborns wouldn't stand a chance.

Harry eyed the three hulking boys that seemed to be eagerly anticipating the fight. What they really needed was...bait. Harry's eyes glanced over Bella.

Suddenly Edward appeared snarling at Harry; obviously Edward had heard his thoughts. Harry held up his hands eyeing Edward with clinical observation.

"I wouldn't suggest using Bella, that would be dangerous...although actually having her with us would be the least dangerous for her safety, what if a few of the army followed her without our knowledge? But I was actually thinking of one of us wearing Bella's clothes, or even all of us wearing something with her scent on to draw them somewhere where we can meet the newborn army so no more humans are killed." Harry realised he had Bella, Alice, Jacob, Edward, Jasper and Jacob's two friends attention.

Jasper, Alice and Jacob's two friends looked considering, Jacob and Edward however looked slightly enraged at the threat to Bella.

"It's a good idea; they are hunting vampire girl after all." The taller of Jacob's friends commented.

"So when are we meeting to get some practice in fighting vampire armies?" Harry asked trying to redirect their attention.

They settled on a time and the wolves left looking exulted.

Harry rubbed his head, it ached.

...

Harry waited in the same field they usually played baseball in for the wolves and for Edward.

Edward arrived with Bella and it wasn't even two minutes later that the wolves arrived. Harry gasped, there were ten wolves!

Last Harry had known there had been five and that was considered a big pack!

"Fascinating." Harry and Carlisle breathed in unison before sharing an exulted grin.

Sam, using Edward as a mouth piece- Edward could read his thoughts and spoke for the wolves, said the wolves would watch and not participate.

Harry waited for his turn against Jasper. Harry was undoubtedly the worst at hand to hand combat and it showed quite obviously. While Alice beat Jasper, Jasper beat Rosalie after a while, Jasper and Edward drew, Jasper beat Emmett and Carlisle and Jasper sort of drew but the odds looked to be in Jasper's favour, Harry was taken down within seconds.

Harry grinned at Jasper; he really sucked at hand to hand combat. The wolves seemed to be amused at his failure. Jasper tilted his head to one side watching Harry.

"Edward and Alice, how about we all go against Harry and he uses his gift." Jasper suggested with an uneasy look to the wolves, he didn't particularly want to reveal more to them but Harry did need practice and Bella seemed worried at how Harry would fare seeing as he was taken down so quickly.

Harry twitched his fingers making sure his wand was in his hand. Bella frowned.

The attack was swift and over quickly. Jasper, Edward and Alice lay on the ground unmoving and Harry stood serenely, he had barely moved, just tapped them all gently.

Harry knew it wouldn't have worked if Edward could read his thoughts clearly and if Alice's visions were as clear with him as they were everyone else's (apart from the wolves).

The wolves looked more than a little shocked. Harry moved lightly over to the three prone forms and with a mutter inaudible to the wolves or vampires tapped the three gently. Alice, Edward and Jasper jumped up, Jasper grinned throwing an arm around Harry.

"You did something different this time!" Jasper exclaimed looking thrilled. Harry smiled gently at Jasper's enthusiasm.

"Severus does like creating spells." Harry commented quietly, rubbing his head. "It wears off after ten seconds though."

Stunning spells did not even down a vampire and so Severus had been attempting to create a spell that would, this was his latest invention and it was a significant improvement. It sort of froze all the blood in a vampires system for a few seconds and as vampires got their strength from blood...It was a spell that would kill a human.

Harry stood next to Carlisle as the wolves approached; the wolves needed each of their scents so they would recognise them later and so they wouldn't mistakenly attack them in the battle.

The wolves seemed to wince as they sniffed each of them in turn and Harry frowned. He stepped towards them once the scenting was done.

"Is the way we smell a problem? Is it physically painful?" Harry asked head cocked to one side. Edward spoke for the leader.

"The smell is sickly sweet, much like bleach." Edward spoke for the big black furred wolf.

"Hmmm." Harry made a slight movement of his wand and the wolves looked at him in surprise even as Jasper frowned in thought.

"What did you do?" Edward once again spoke in a monotone, speaking for Sam.

"I tried to reduce or dampen our scents...I don't think it will last long but I can do that tomorrow as well if you want?" Harry offered, vampires scent seemed to burn the wolves noses when they smelt it and Harry himself detested the smell of bleach.

"That is appreciated." Sam thanked through Edward stiffly.

The wolves had left, apart from Jacob who was talking to Bella and Edward back in his human shape.

Harry made his way to Carlisle rubbing his head. Carlisle absently wrapped an arm around his waist and they stared at the stars each lost in their own thoughts.

...

Harry leaned into Carlisle's side absently. They were back at the baseball field for another practice at fighting.

Three wolves had turned up this time instead of the whole pack and Harry recognised Jacob, they were just waiting for Edward to appear, probably with Bella. Edward had told them that he would be sitting out the battle, staying with Bella as per her request along with Seth.

Bella seated herself next to Jacob in his wolf form and Edward went to help Jasper. Jasper was showing them tactics to fight against multiple opponents.

It was halfway through their practice when Alice stiffened as did Edward. Edward was by Bella's side in a flash startling her by her small jump.

"Wha-" Harry froze. No one in the field moved; not even the wolves or Bella. They were stuck rigid in the positions they had been just a split second before as if they had been put under a 'Petrificus Totalus' a body bind spell.

Harry could see the darting eyes from everyone as they tried to work out why they couldn't move. Harry followed where Alice and Edward were looking to the exact place where James, Laurent and Victoria had appeared before.

A low musical chuckle drifted across the field and if he could have Harry would have flinched. He knew that darkly amused chuckle well.

Long before Bella's human eyes could spot them Harry noticed the figures approaching, the world faded from Harry's view and his eyes locked on the centre most figure, everyone else was irrelevant.

"Tsk tsk, Harry. You need to look after yourself better; it would be so easy for me to tear that pretty little neck to pieces." A rich warm voice spoke the smooth, kindly tone making the words so much more sinister.

Suddenly a hand grabbed his throat and Harry looked down the long arm holding his throat in one hand to the tall, muscular man with curly blond hair and blood red eyes. Harry tried to glare but couldn't.

"Is that all? No greeting for little old me? Surely you remember me, dear? No 'Hello Theodore it has been a while', no 'sorry for the last meeting', no 'sorry for ripping off my arm'?" Theodore commented one eyebrow raised looking faux hurt. "Shame." He commented in a cold voice that was all the more terrifying for his warm tones (fake though they were) before.

He threw Harry away from him and Harry still trapped in the body bind (how had Theodore done that? Normal body bind spells didn't work on vampires and shape-shifters.) fell to the ground stiff as a board.

Harry heard a howl in the distance.

"Pathetic." Theodore spat. "You always were rather pitiful but you have sunk to new lows." Theodore's voice turned warm, cajoling almost as he paced in a circle around Harry's prone form. "At least in the past you led battles to war, you led people to victory. Now what do you do? You play happy families." Theodore snarled picking Harry up with one hand around the back of his neck and shaking him.

"Don't you remember? You rallied the troops; you at seventeen years old led an army against one of the most powerful men in existence. And yet, since you have become so much more, a vampire with enhanced everything; you have refused to take a single life. Pathetic. But I digress." Theodore shook his head smiling a seemingly benign smile, Harry watched him warily struggling, trying to break whatever was holding him in the body bind.

Theodore's moods had always been...unpredictable but they were downright unstable now.

"You see, after our last encounter, where you sent me to prison, I decided I would have to gain more power, more allies. So I studied magic fully, I do hope you are enjoying my invention. It tends to incapacitate a large number of people at one time, makes them completely immobile but they are still conscious. You are but a mere thorn in my side now, Harry dear. You were the only one who escaped." Theodore patted him none too gently on the cheek.

"Now, I want to tell you a story, do sit tight." Theodore chuckled at his own joke and gracefully, even for a vampire, knelt by Harry's side so Harry could see his face easily.

Another howl rent the air.

"Once upon a time there was a boy-hero, his name was Harry Potter. Now this Harry Potter, while not minding breaking a few rules, or laws, was a goody-goody, he had won a war against a rather powerful man all before he reached the age of eighteen. Now as we know in a battle there will be deaths, two people very close to the hero-boy died in the final battle and so poor little Harry was left with their son to look after.

Little Teddy was only a few months old at this point so Harry and the babies grandmother became his new parents. And all was well for a while.

But what is a fairy tale without a good old fashioned villain?

So the bad guy of the story, one Theodore Nott, entered the picture. Now Theodore wanted the boy-hero, Harry was just so irresistible then, so innocent and naive, so young with such compelling big green eyes. So Theodore set out to woo the boy-hero.

Harry, you were so easily led, so easy to enchant.

Theodore pretended to care for the boy-hero all the while laughing at the boy's naiveté. And soon the boy-hero fancied himself in love with the big bad nasty bad guy.

It takes one word, a simple 'obliviate' and your memory is wiped. You never really questioned the slight blank spots in your memory, nor did you rationalise the fear you occasionally felt in my presence. Until the one time you escaped before I had wiped your memories and healed your body, you look so enticing covered in bruises, dear.

And then the big bad guy saw the boy-hero cosying up to one Severus Snape during an open ball. The big bad guy was already furious at the boy-heroes escape, no one had denied Theodore before, but he waited biding his time to destroy the boy-hero who had humiliated him so by leaving before he was finished with the green eyed boy.

Then he struck the perfect idea. What did the boy-hero love more than anything in the world? Why, his four year old godson, of course." Theodore paused and Harry felt horror building in his gut and a sinking realisation.

"So Theodore plotted and planned. He even gained some allies, vampires in fact. This was perfect! Another way to attack Harry, so Theodore tricked the vampires into going to a party where many witches and wizards were attending, Theodore had promised them a banquet; he said nothing about the humans being able to fight back.

He had never imagined though, that the boy-hero himself would be bitten! So Theodore refined his plans, he decided to leave little Teddy alone, maybe as a vampire the boy-hero might lose his control and kill the boy himself.

That would have destroyed you.

But Harry being the little martyr he was stayed away from his beloved son, he didn't want the boy to be at risk. The boy-hero even looked after all the other vampires turned the night of the ill fated party, stopping them from killing human filth!" Theodore paused again and speedily ripped Harry's shirt and removed it from Harry leaving his torso bare and the many bite marks that littered Harry's chest on display. Theodore caressed them with a gentle fearsome touch. One long finger tracing down Harry's chest.

"No matter how many times they bit and attempted to kill Harry the boy-hero stayed looking after the newborn vampires until they learnt some control and wouldn't go out and massacre hundreds of humans. But some of the vampires chaffed, they didn't want to drink animal blood like Harry told them to, they wanted delicious human blood. That was when one of Harry's little human friends was bitten.

You came so close to killing your friends that day, it would have been delicious to see you unfettered by your sickeningly moral constraints.

After roughly fifteen years Harry though himself in enough control to return to see Teddy, little Teddy all grown up now." Theodore chuckled and it was not a nice sound.

"Now, Teddy's father was a werewolf, a true werewolf of the moon, and isn't it curious the natural dislike between werewolves and vampires?

And Theodore was curious, what would happen if a werewolves child was injected with vampire venom? Teddy died in a fever; the venom seemed to have burnt through his system slower than it turns people, probably battling the werewolf gene.

Harry's face when he returned to find out little Teddy had died of sickness just two months before hand, thrilled Theodore for weeks afterwards. The boy-hero had looked so agonised, so in pain it was delicious.

And then the pain had turned to rage.

The little boy-hero was ready to kill to avenge his dear child. But Severus Snape restrained Harry, unfortunately." Theodore turned burning red eyes to Harry and his face was twisted with an odd intense sort of madness.

"Your anger would have been perfect! Brilliant and beautiful as you spilled guts and blood just as a red sun rose. Such a shame you resisted." Theodore stood looking down at Harry triumphantly.

"I broke the golden boy, I broke Harry Potter. You were never the same after you sons death." Theodore stated with exultation. In a sudden unexpected move Theodore leaned closer and bit savagely into Harry's shoulder adding to the plethora of marks already etched on Harry's torso.

A howl, much closer now could be heard and Theodore looked to the sound and turned to leave.

"I made a new friend, one who seemed bent on getting revenge on the Cullens for some reason, Victoria is her name, I'm sure you know her." Theodore directed this smirking comment to Edward.

"Do you like the magic that is currently freezing you all in place? I designed the ward, it feeds a continuous loop of blood freezing curses at any vampire I have set it to, using all of your...signatures I should say even though most of the pitiful vampires you surround yourself with don't have a drop of magic. It works on wolves as well; your little human pet only needed a well aimed body-bind. Such a shame the wolves only sent three of their members...it doesn't work so well long distance." Theodore sneered.

"The best part about the ward? It feeds off of your power Harry. And I do hope you're enjoying the headaches, Harry dear, it took so long to unearth that particular curse..." Theodore smirked tapping Harry's head.

"Come, it's time to leave. I played my piece; the next move is Harry's. The wolves weren't held for long, they were too far away to be affected properly." Theodore ordered the vampires that accompanied him.

Harry lay, trapped by the body bind, mind racing but stuck on one point. Theodore had killed Teddy.

Theodore murdered Teddy.

Theodore murdered Harry's Teddy.

Theodore murdered Harry's son.

It didn't matter that Teddy had died nearly 200 years ago, as a vampire time flowed a little differently and Harry doubted any parent got over the death of their child fully. And Harry's human memories hadn't faded, he could still picture Teddy's toothy grin and wide eyes, his little heart shaped face so much like his mothers.

Harry felt a blinding fury rise up within him, someone had murdered his child!

Harry's finger twitched.

Theodore was just there...just a mere metre away...

Snap!

The invisible bindings tying his magical signature to the ward broke and Harry was up and moving.

He leapt for Theodore before he had even realised his own escape.

Theodore dodged out of the way looking utterly surprised Harry had already broken the bonds. Theodore laughed.

"Don't interfere, this is Harry's move, he was always terrible at chess." Theodore ordered his companions dodging again.

Harry wasn't aware of anything but the burning fury that lit his veins and blinded him.

Was it moments later or hours? When Harry had Theodore trapped, his teeth poised to tear a chunk out of Theodore's throat. Harry wasn't good at fighting but neither, it seemed, was Theodore. Theodore chuckled.

"There's the hate! The beautiful anger! Your true nature unveiled. Are you going to kill me Harry?"

Theodore's words stopped Harry cold piercing through the red fog that had clouded his mind.

He remembered his third year at Hogwarts and Sirius Black, his godfather, saying those very same words to him 'Are you going to kill me Harry?'. He also remembered his passionate appeal to Sirius and Remus not to kill Peter Pettigrew because he thought his father wouldn't have wanted his friends to be murderers.

Murderer. He was holding a murderer and Harry didn't want to be a murderer.

Harry let go of Theodore, dropping him suddenly.

Theodore turned face full of shock and burning anger.

"No! You were supposed to lose yourself to your anger! You weren't supposed to stop! Your rage is magnificent, you were supposed to...Why must you always spoil my fun?!" Theodore raged eyes a gleaming sinisterly, blood red.

Harry stepped away from Theodore face blank but his green eyes _burned_.

A swift mass of fur landed on Theodore's distracted form and the massive creatures teeth tore into Theodore.

Harry remained motionless as all the Cullens, Jacob and his two friends in wolf form and Bella started to wriggle and slowly regain full control of their bodies. Harry didn't even flinch when the remainder of the pack, not the three sent to watch the Cullens learning to fight newborns, tore Theodore and his companions to shreds with violent ripping noises and fierce snarls.

Harry gasped when Carlisle wrapped him in an embrace.

If Harry could have cried, tears would have been falling without pause down his face. Instead he cried tearless, heart breaking dry sobs into Carlisle's chest.

"He killed Teddy...Teddy...I should have protected him...I should have returned sooner...my son...Teddy..." Harry gasped incomprehensible words and sentences.

Edward, Jasper, Emmett, Rosalie or Alice must have seen the wolves off with a thanks as Carlisle wasn't moving from Harry and Harry barely even realised he was being held.

Eventually Harry stilled quelling his tearless sobs.

Carlisle tilted up his face and brushed away his perpetually messy hair from his face. Harry didn't know what Carlisle saw in his face but whatever it was meant Carlisle pressed his lips against Harry's forehead and left them there and Harry was not going to argue with that.

"Would it sound condescending to say I am very proud of you?" Carlisle asked gently a small smile on his lips. Harry's lips twitched.

"I don't think I have ever killed anybody, really, not with the intent to kill anyway. I was so close, Carlisle, so close to ripping out Theodore's throat..." Harry shuddered and Carlisle tightened his grip around Harry.

"It would be justice to kill Theodore because he killed my son. But I couldn't do it. I couldn't kill him. Anyway, just because it is justice doesn't mean I get to dish it out." Harry stated in even tones. Of course if someone was murdering lots of people indiscriminately or committing other horrendous acts then they should be stopped, Harry had managed to get Theodore sent to Azkaban for a while due to some pretty nasty things Theodore had done, but Harry meant they should be sent to prison...not killed.

He was far from calm really, but he felt a peace he hadn't felt since he was human, almost like a piece of jigsaw puzzle that Harry couldn't find had been found in the great puzzle that was life. And while the piece may have been bent out of shape it still fit in its slot.

He loved Teddy, he always would but he had grieved for him properly before...this new revelation didn't really change anything, Teddy was still dead.

It might have made Harry feel even guiltier he wasn't there to try and prevent Teddy's death from ever happening but even then he might not have been able to save Teddy's life.

He linked arms with Carlisle; his children had long since left the field, probably to give him and Carlisle some space and privacy, and sent a sideways slanted look in Carlisle's direction.

"Shall we spend the night elsewhere from nosy brats?" Harry asked grinning cheekily, it was a faint grin not nearly as bright as his usual grins but it was better than the blank expression Harry had sported before. Carlisle blinked before chuckling.

"Lead on."


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer.

* * *

Chapter 10:

(10/11)

Harry grinned running alongside Carlisle. He, Carlisle, Alice, Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie were hunting, their last hunt before the battle even though their eyes were still golden and green respectfully, it would give them strength, like going into battle with a full stomach-more energy.

He couldn't believe it was Saturday already; the battle was set for today according to Alice's visions. She couldn't tell the outcome because of the wolves involvement and that put her on edge, she didn't like being blind (her words).

Harry heard a distant roar and he smiled to himself, Emmett had found a bear then. He had never really gotten over being mauled by a bear before Rosalie found him and so he liked to wrestle with them now, it was more than amusing since the bear had absolutely no chance against Emmett and looked so confused when Emmett wasn't even hurt by a swipe of its claws.

Edward and Bella were together alone back at the house, Charlie thought Bella was having a sleepover with Alice.

Harry wondered if Bella had accepted Edwards's proposal yet...

Harry changed course when he smelt a Bobcat, his tastes ran more to the smaller feline carnivores, rather than bears or the larger mountain lions.

...

The battle when it came was quick.

Harry would stun a newborn if it got close enough and while it was down the closest Cullen next to him would tear the newborn to pieces, or a wolf, more than one wolf had torn apart a vampire Harry had downed.

They set the pieces on fire and Harry concentrated on not remembering the sounds of vampire flesh being torn, the metallic screeching was not particularly pleasant.

There was a sudden blur of motion and Harry turned to see Jacob (in his wolf form) knock aside the smallest wolf of the pack, the grey furred female. Jacob while quick enough to get the small wolf out of the way of the newborn that had hidden in the bush was not quick enough to avoided being hurt himself.

Harry shot a stunner at the distracted newborn and didn't watch as the littlest grey wolf tore the downed vampire to shreds.

Carlisle quickly examined Jacob looking astounded at the fast healing rate the wolf shifter was displaying. Carlisle spoke to the big black furred wolf briefly, promising to come and make sure Jacob was alright when the Volturi left. The wolves couldn't exactly go to a normal hospital with their supernatural healing rate.

The wolves had had to disappear pretty quickly after the battle seeing as the Volturi were finally interceding to destroy the newborn army. The Volturi would not look favourably on the shifters.

Alice had seen the Volturi arrive in less than ten minutes time.

Harry scowled a little; the Volturi had waited to stop the newborn army. They had probably seen the signs even before the Cullens had worked it out! It showed the Volturi wouldn't have minded if the Cullens were wiped out. According to Edward Aro was slightly apprehensive about their Coven, they were the largest coven around apart from the Volturi and their ties were far stronger, they felt high regard for each other, they were a family. More than a coven.

Edward came into the clearing holding Bella in his arms. She looked fine she just had reddened eyes from crying, a few scratches from twigs here and there so Harry concluded she had fainted.

Carlisle agreed with his assumption when he properly checked her over.

Jasper stood guard over the one vampire who had surrendered when Carlisle offered. She was young, about fifteen with dark hair and so small.

Jasper watched her warily as he rubbed his arm irritably.

Harry shook his head fondly. Jasper had tried to protect Alice and fight every battle, Jasper knew Alice didn't need help fighting she was so quick no one could catch her. He had been bitten for his troubles.

The newborn vampire girl yowled in anguish at Bella's scent, she was trying to resist, she was trying very hard but control was so hard to fight for as a newborn.

Harry had attempted to drain Neville more than once in the beginning but time and exposure had helped him and Harry had been odd in his control, it had been supremely odd that he didn't attack Neville straight away when he was turned.

Harry had a few theories about his odd control but he couldn't prove them.

Harry got into place next to his family as they waited watching the other vampires approach. Bella was at the heart of the formation, the most vulnerable of them she needed the most protection.

"Hmmm."

"Welcome, Jane." Edward spoke in his cool aloof politeness.

Jane, Felix and a cloaked figure (Harry didn't recognise the scent) stood by the fire that was more smoke than anything now their cloaks billowing in the wind.

Harry got the sudden image of Severus Snape in his teaching robes walking around a corner and watching the robes billow out behind him.

"I don't understand." Jane stated looking at the girl vampire sitting by the fire clutching her head and eyes fixed on Bella.

"She surrendered." Edward informed her, answering the question in her mind.

"Surrendered?" Jane's eyes flickered over Edward.

"Carlisle gave her the option." Edward shrugged.

"There are no options for those who break the rules." Jane said flatly.

"That's in your hands. As long as she was willing to halt her attack on us, I saw no need to destroy her. She wasn't informed of the rules." Carlisle stated genially.

"That is irrelevant." Jane stated her tone nearly as bored and flat as before.

"As you wish." Carlisle stated.

"Aro hoped that we would get far enough west to see you, Carlisle. He sends his regards." Jane said. Carlisle nodded.

"I would appreciate it if you would convey mine to him." Carlisle returned politely.

"Of course." Jane smiled. Her face was almost too lovely when it was animated. She looked back toward the smoke. "It appears that you've done our work for us today . . . for the most part." Her eyes flickered to the hostage. "Just out of professional curiosity, how many were there? They left quite a wake of destruction in Seattle."

"Eighteen, including this one." Carlisle answered.

Jane's eyes widened and she looked at the fire again, seeming to reassess the size of it. Felix and the other shadow exchanged a longer glance.

"Eighteen?" she repeated, her voice sounding unsure for the first time.

"All brand-new," Carlisle said dismissively. "They were unskilled."

"All?" Her voice turned sharp. "Then who was their creator?"

"Her name was Victoria." Edward answered, no emotion in his voice.

"Was?" Jane asked. Edward nodded towards the other fire that could be seen from the small amount of smoke.

"This Victoria — she was in addition to the eighteen here?" Jane asked.

"Yes. She had only one other with her. He was not as young as this one here, but no older than a year." Edward answered.

"Twenty." Jane breathed. "Who dealt with the creator?"

"I did." Edward told her.

Jane's eyes narrowed, and she turned to the girl beside the fire.

"You there." she said, her dead voice harsher than before. "Your name."

The newborn shot a baleful glare at Jane, her lips pressed tightly together. Jane smiled back angelically. The newborn girl's answering scream was ear-piercing; her body arched stiffly into a distorted, unnatural position.

Harry twitched but Carlisle held his hand to stop him from moving. Harry couldn't tear his eyes away from the little vampire who was writhing about as though under the cruciatus curse.

Finally it was quiet.

"Your name." Jane repeated coldly.

"Bree." The little vampire replied fearfully. Jane smiled and Bree screamed again. Harry clutched tightly to Carlisle's hand resisting the urge to help Bree, he couldn't even afford to look sympathetic in case the Volturi took it as insubordination. They were already wary of the Cullens no need to amplify this.

"Bree, is his story true? Were there twenty of you?" Jane asked her cold red eyes not moving from Bree's form.

Harry still didn't look away as Felix killed Bree, adding her remains to the fire and lighting it again. Carlisle returned his tight grip of his hand. Jane hadn't been part of the Volturi when Carlisle and Harry were there but that had been nearly 200 years ago.

Carlisle watched too, his expression pained.

...

Harry sighed, he was relieved in a way that no one had been seriously injured, in fact Jacob was the only one who had even been hurt, but the Volturi always made him a little uneasy.

Carlisle knocked on the door of Billy's house. They were there to treat Jacob, Harry supposed Jacob was in his human form otherwise he wouldn't have been brought to Billy's house seeing as Charlie was there.

Billy wheeled out and showed them to the garage where there was a table and on top of the table lay Jacob. His room would have been too small for him and for Carlisle to heal him so the pack had placed him in the garage after clearing some space and moving the table in.

Jacob had a pained grimace on his face but he was still unconscious, passed out in a mixture of pain and exhaustion.

Billy eyed Carlisle and Harry with a little suspicion. Billy was the least prejudiced against the Cullens, he had even wished them luck before the battle. Billy eyed Harry sceptically.

"Don't worry, I won't be doing much. I did study medicine under Carlisle and he's one of the best." Harry said in response to the sceptical look. Billy looked like he didn't know whether to snort or roll his eyes.

Billy eyed his son worriedly as Carlisle began examining him again, this time while Jacob was human. Harry frowned.

"Won't his body burn up the morphine? I know Remus's body burnt up painkillers and he didn't run at such a high temperature." Harry asked.

Carlisle gave an absent nod not taking his eyes from Jacob's prone form.

"I was just considering that." Carlisle replied.

Billy watched them silently until Carlisle stood back and Harry packed away the medical supplies. He had been especially tense when they had had to re-break some of Jacob's bones that due to his accelerated healing had set wrong.

Jacobs curses and muffled yelps of pain had brought a lot of the pack running in fearing they were harming Jacob instead of healing him.

"So I heard you've got an interesting history." Billy commented faux casually his clever dark eyes watching as Harry briefly paused before carrying on at a human speed so as not to startle Billy. Billy was obviously referencing to Theodore's words at the attack that three of the wolves had been present for. Which meant all of the wolves had heard it through the thoughts of each other.

"You could say that." Harry replied with a small smile.

"Hmmm." Billy was still watching him so Harry elaborated to put the man's concerns at ease; he supposed it was fair if Billy was worried about things that could affect the Reservation and Forks.

"I was in a pretty major war when I was human; I was one of the central figures in fact." Harry grimaced. "We won, in the end and the killings stopped and the prejudice lessened. But that was nearly 200 years ago so there shouldn't be anyone holding a grudge around to take it out on me or the town. I don't think I made enemies after I was turned, nor in the five years between my turning and the end of the war. Theodore was a...he was different. He tried to destroy me as a human and kept playing games with me after I was turned. The last time we met I ripped off his arm and ensured he ended up in a prison that could hold him. That is why he had a vendetta with me." Harry explained. He hated telling his personal life to strangers.

"Huh. I suppose murdering your son was a vendetta gaining move." Billy commented eyes watching Harry for a reaction. Harry closed his eyes and his hands clutched at his shirt. He breathed in and out once then opened his eyes.

"Please stop." Carlisle asked Billy. To be fair to him Billy looked mildly ashamed at causing Harry such distress, he had been testing them for some reason, or testing Harry and Harry didn't know why.

Harry went to chat with Charlie who looked simultaneously both disapproving and in awe of the amount of curse words Jacob could shout out when in pain. Charlie had been there when the pack brought Jacob in.

There were some odd looks sent to the pair when both Harry and Charlie started chuckling at something but they were engrossed in their conversation and didn't notice.

Harry waited by the car as Carlisle went to speak with Sam. He was glad at least it was cloudy again otherwise he would be sparkling for all to see. Harry turned slightly when he heard the wheel chair approach.

"I heard Bella's gonna be a vamp." Billy stated unexpectedly after a few moments silence.

"It's her choice." Harry sighed.

"She's choosing wrong." Billy stated with utter surety.

"I know." Harry replied quietly.

"You what?" Billy responded articulately, he obviously had expected a different answer.

"Do you think any of us had a choice to be turned? Rosalie, Emmett and Edward were dying, Carlisle was bitten hunting down vampires to kill them, Alice was turned in a mental asylum so an interested vampire didn't kill her, Jasper was turned for a vampire war and I was turned in a massacre by accident. Bella shouldn't be choosing to be one of us." Harry explained.

"Huh. I didn't expect that." Billy said surprised.

"Don't get me wrong, she's good for Edward and I want her around for his sake and I want her to be part of the family...but choosing to be a vampire? Anyone of us in the family would give up nearly anything to be human, to grow old with kids...grandchildren..." Harry trailed off.

"Well, she's chosen." Billy sighed; he knew that if Bella was bitten the Cullens would not return to Forks ever as they would have broken the treaty. In fact Billy was sure some of the wolves would want to track the Cullens down and destroy them. He thought it was a stupid idea.

Harry sighed.

"Hmmm. I...um...Billy, Jacob's going to be a little...down. Bella's agreed to marry Edward." Harry said baldly almost cringing at how his words came out, he wanted to inform Billy so he could know why Jacob was going to be so upset.

Billy sighed this time.

"I could see it since Bella and Edward first got together. I didn't know what I was seeing then but it looks a hell of a lot like the love shared between imprints...and how can anyone get in between that?" Billy stated rhetorically not looking pleased by his thoughts.

"Your Edward looks at Bella like Sam looks at Emily." Billy stated succinctly and Harry nodded now getting what Billy meant.

"So..." Billy coughed trying to redirect their odd conversation. "You're 200 years old then." Billy stated but there was a question there. Harry half smiled.

"I was born in 1780, in England. I was turned in 1802." Harry informed Billy, Billy's eyebrows rose.

"And how long have you known Dr. Cullen?" Billy asked honestly curious.

"Umm...about 190 years...We met in the early 1800s in Italy." Harry replied. Billy again looked surprised.

"So long." Billy muttered to himself. "And how old is Carlisle?"

"He was born in 1640 and turned in 1663." Harry answered.

"Have you ever...killed a human?" Billy queried looking curious but also as though he hadn't meant to ask that out loud.

"Technically no...but it was my fault some people died when I was human." Harry replied a small frown crinkling his forehead and he rubbed at the lingering ache.

Billy didn't ask any more questions he just stayed there in silence for a few minutes before wheeling back inside to check on his son.

As soon as Billy disappeared Carlisle appeared next to Harry and held the passenger door open of the car for Harry. Harry thanked him with a smile and he settled into the car keeping his amused eye roll hidden, such chivalry. Really, he could open the doors himself.

"Good conversation?" Carlisle asked looking at Harry even as he drove.

"Hmmm. Interesting. I think most of the prejudice, both sides, stems from lack of knowledge rather than real animosity."

"Hmmm. Probably, that is the usual case." Carlisle agreed.

* * *

xxx

In the weeks before Bella and Edward's wedding Harry spent most of his time reading through his (extensive) library on magical texts, many of them came from the Black library Sirius had left him in his will.

He was searching for the curse Theodore had mentioned he had put on Harry. It didn't help that he was reading with headaches of various strengths.

Carlisle, Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie helped from time to time but none of them were magical so they couldn't really be much help.

Harry had called up Severus on the mobile he had shoved at Severus a few months ago hoping the man hadn't forgotten about it or destroyed it. It was to no avail, Severus hadn't heard of an old curse that caused headaches when he used his magic or was involved with anything to do with magic.

So Harry had returned to his endless reading.

Harry accio'ed a book and he groaned rubbing his head. It was almost as though his magic was attacking him...

That was it! It was an attack based on his magic not himself! Harry would have laughed in relief if he hadn't been paging swiftly (only just taking enough care not to tear the pages) through a particularly grimy tome.

Harry actually did laugh when he found the correct page. He was just glad it was an old spell rather than one Theodore had made up. The counter curse was simple and Harry sighed with relief as his headache finally disappeared.

He hadn't had a headache since he was human (apart from Occlumency ones) before the curse and he did not miss them one bit.

Lips pressed against his head made him open his eyes and he looked into bright golden orbs filled with a warming love.

"Headache gone?" Carlisle asked gently framing Harry's face with his hands.

"Finally." Harry smiled.

Carlisle drew him in for a deep kiss and Harry leaned into it happily tangling his fingers in Carlisle's hair. They broke apart when Jasper coughed downstairs but loud enough for them to hear.

"Nosy brats." Harry muttered with a bright smile.

"Oi!" Emmett called up the stairs. Harry resisted the urge to laugh, Carlisle chuckled.

"Vacate the premises if you're going to do the dirty." Emmett said laughing.

"He only said that to embarrass me." Harry grumbled while Carlisle just looked amused.

"You're hungry." Carlisle stated brushing a finger against the dark shadows under Harry's black eyes. Harry grimaced; he had wanted to get rid of the curse so he hadn't fed since just before the battle against the newborn army. A few weeks ago now.

"Come, let's hunt." Carlisle pulled Harry off the chair and in one quick move they leapt out of the open window of the study and ran into the trees, hunting.

(Away from nosy brats.)

* * *

xxx

The wedding was nice, Harry thought, Alice had really done well.

Harry stayed next to Carlisle, leaning against him the whole time eyes sometimes latched on Edward's ecstatic features and sometimes on Bella's no less ecstatic but teary face. Harry couldn't stop smiling.

Harry and Carlisle had to be careful when dancing not to lose themselves and not show inhuman speed or forget there were others on the dance floor too. It seemed though that people avoided their elegant twirls and odd style of dance that nonetheless worked as they switched lead every few seconds.

Harry kept his eyes and focus on Carlisle so he missed the eyes watching their entwined forms, the whispers and the envy from a few people. Carlisle and Harry were so absorbed in each other they didn't even notice the slight infraction between Edward, Bella, Jacob and a few others of the pack.

Harry watched Bella and Edward leave for their honeymoon on Isle Harry. Harry had asked Carlisle to change the name of the island but Carlisle had refused laughing at Harry's indignant and embarrassed expression.

It was a wonderful island though, despite the name, and Harry had spent many happy months with just Carlisle there.

There was a strange sense of...not exactly loss but...a slight emptiness as the couple disappeared into the night. It was almost like they had come to an end of an era...Harry snorted at his overly fanciful thoughts.


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer.

Chapter 11:

(11/11)

Harry and Carlisle hunted in silence.

They had left the others guarding Bella. Bella was...pregnant but the baby was killing her, its strength was already greater than Bella's and Bella got thinner every day. Bella and Edward had returned from their honeymoon early and certainly not as happy as newlywed newly honeymooned people should be.

It had barely been a month since the wedding, how could Bella's health have deteriorated so swiftly?

Harry had agreed with Bella and Rosalie, it was Bella's choice after all and there was a chance Bella would survive along with the child. But Edward...he looked like he was burning at the stake, face frozen in a horrific mask of pain at Bella's declining health. He didn't think Bella was going to survive.

They had just smelt a herd of deer when Carlisle's mobile rang.

"Come back now." Was all Emmett said before he ended the call. Carlisle and Harry shared an alarmed look before running as swiftly as they could back home. They were twenty minutes fast run away.

Ten minutes later a sudden smell of wet dog filled their noses and in front of their very eyes a large sandy coloured wolf turned into a naked Quileute boy. Harry would have been embarrassed by the nudity if he wasn't so worried.

"Seth? What is it?" Harry asked urgently. Seth had an uncharacteristically serious look on his young face although the optimism ever present could be seen.

"The Pack has decided the child is a danger to us all, they plan on attacking and killing you all tonight." Seth explained in a rush. Harry caught the implications.

"Jacob took up his mantle as Alpha. You and he formed a new pack. Seth I can't thank you and Jacob enough for saving my family." Harry stated heartfelt. Seth shrugged with a grin.

"Nothing to thank. It was the right thing to do." Seth commented.

"Still, if there is ever something we can do for you don't hesitate to ask." Carlisle offered warmly, he liked Seth, Seth and Edward had struck up a sort of friendship before the wedding.

Seth nodded in thanks.

"I've gotta get back, Jacob's probably worrying." Seth said with a cheeky grin before phasing into a large sandy furred wolf again.

Harry and Carlisle continued home, Harry beat Carlisle back being the second fastest in the coven, the fastest was Edward.

They spent the night in the room as Bella restlessly slept twitching and turning, the tubes attached to her trying to give her body some much needed nutrients. Her heart beat was unsteady. Harry leant against Carlisle when Carlisle closed his eyes looking tired and vampires didn't get tired physically.

Carlisle wrapped an arm around Harry's waist and absently kissed his forehead.

A sudden howl rent the air and everyone stiffened ready for the attack that was sure to come, Jacob had said they would howl if they found Sam's Pack coming.

Soon enough they heard the quiet (near silent to a human) footfalls of a large wolf approaching. The tread was just a tad too light to be Jacob so Harry guessed it was Seth. He went with Carlisle to see what was happening.

Again Harry managed to ignore Seth's nudity in favour of the looming trouble.

"Sorry about that. False alarm...my sister surprised me, she has joined the pack." Seth explained sheepishly. Harry smiled at Seth not quite able to muster his usual wide grin.

"Escaping Sam?" Harry asked mildly. Seth looked awkward.

"Yeah, sort of." He mumbled. Harry winced.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to pry...I was just sad about the imprinting thing it really wasn't fair on any of them." Harry commented quietly. Seth nodded, agreeing, he had seen how it had tormented not only Leah, his sister, but Emily and Sam as well.

"Anyway I gotta be getting back." Seth said already phasing back into a wolf. Harry watched the transformation; it was very different to an animagus transformation.

It almost seemed like the wolf form was ripping through the human whereas an animagus transformation was smooth, one form leading into the other like water flowing over a rock.

Later in the day another howl sounded just as Jacob was going to go and sleep, leaving Bella reluctantly and Jacob bounded away changing into his wolf form mid leap, it was quite awe inspiring to watch, Harry thought.

Harry picked up the tattered remains of Jacob's shorts, that had been his last pair from what Harry had seen and it wasn't like Jacob could go to La Plush and grab another pair. Harry mentally pictured Jacob as a human, Emmett's clothes should fit around the body but even Emmett wasn't as tall as Jacob's near seven feet frame.

Jacob was a foot taller than Harry (at least).

Harry flitted upstairs and riffled through Emmett's clothes picking something he wouldn't mind not wearing (which to be honest was nearly everything), Alice and Rosalie always stocked their clothes to overflowing and they were barely allowed to wear an outfit twice.

Harry placed the clothes outside on the porch before flitting into the kitchen to cook, he was feeling antsy.

Harry caught Jacob just before he could leave from visiting Bella again; the poor boy looked dead on his feet.

"Jacob...I want you to know that you can use this house as though it was yours, there's food in the fridge you are welcome to, showers, clothes, transportation...anything to make your temporary separation from your home easier. This goes for you, Leah and Seth of course. If you need anything just say." Harry said gently. Edward had been reading Jacob's mind when Jacob was talking with a delegate from Sam's pack and Jacob had realised (in his mind, he hadn't said it out loud) that he didn't have a home now he had separated from the pack.

And Harry wanted to thank the three shifters in any way he could. This was the least he could offer.

Jacob looked visibly surprised even as he muffled another yawn.

"Thanks." Jacob muttered before a cracking sound and a pained cry came from inside. Harry's eyes turned bleak.

"It's breaking her bones now." Harry muttered sadly. Just because he thought it should be Bella's choice whether to abort the baby or keep it didn't mean he liked to watch Bella suffer, she was his daughter.

Jacob sank to the ground of the porch and leant against the side of the door frame already half asleep, he hadn't slept in...he didn't actually know.

Harry flitted upstairs to make sure Bella was alright.

It was the early hours of the morning when Seth appeared at the door looking at Jacob's snoring form in amusement.

"Hello." Harry greeted quietly. Seth grinned.

"I've already told Jacob but we have food, showers, clothes, beds if you ever want them, don't hesitate to ask if you do we have more than we need." Harry offered. Seth smiled in thanks.

"Do you want some breakfast?" Harry asked already heading to the kitchen. Seth nodded eagerly and Harry smiled.

Seth hopped up onto a kitchen counter and watched as Harry got out a variety of ingredients mumbling to himself absently, something about omelettes, cinnamon rolls and an English Breakfast.

"You're slightly different to the other vampires." Seth stated astutely. Harry gave a wry little half smile.

"Story of my life." Harry muttered almost too quiet for Seth to catch and far too low for a human to hear. Harry shrugged. "We don't really know why." Harry said frankly. Seth nodded and left it at that.

Seth and Jacob seemed to appreciate the food and clothes but Leah still turned her nose up at vampire stuff.

Jacob let them know when it was safe enough for them to hunt. Harry may have been semi used to not hunting for four weeks on end but the others weren't. They were eyeing the cup of human blood Bella drank from with increasing longing eyes pitch black.

Carlisle and Harry were out when it happened. They were using Carlisle's doctor credentials to buy blood for Bella and the baby. A frantic phone call from Alice later, rushing to speak about the baby ripping itself free from Bella and time rushed forwards.

xxx

Harry frowned; he hoped Bella's remarkable control would last her father visiting. Jacob had shown Charlie his wolf form and was going to let Charlie make his own assumptions when he came to see the new Bella at the house.

Jacob didn't quite realise just how painful and dangerous this would be for both Bella and Charlie.

Charlie looked at their pale skin, eerie grace and odd eyes with new...realisation. He looked visibly pained by the changes to Bella, the pale flawless skin and undeniably beautiful features but that was all forgotten when he laid eyes on his granddaughter, Renesmee.

Charlie had nearly hyperventilated when he noticed Renesmee's eyes were the exact shade of chocolate brown he sported and Bella used to have before she was turned. He had been struggling to fit the dates, nine months into one. Eventually Charlie seemed to decide to ignore anything...unnatural.

The Cullens as a whole dropped the human act, mostly, just to show Charlie but they kept their speed to a slower more human speed.

Poor, poor Charlie. Harry thought to himself as he cooked lunch for the man. Charlie also noted that none of the Cullens ate any food even though he spent nearly an entire day there. Jacob and Charlie however ate, Harry loved cooking for the wolves because they ate everything and he got to cook a lot more and try out new dishes.

xxx

Harry stood stock still utterly shocked.

The Volturi were going to come and eradicate them because Irina had seen Renesmee and thought she was an immortal child and so had gone to Italy to tell the Volturi. One of the biggest rules for keeping the secret was not creating immortal children and if you broke it, it meant instant death for everyone involved.

The Denali Coven's mother had had an immortal child and the Volturi had killed her along with the child, the three 'sisters' were only spared because they had had no idea and Aro was feeling merciful.

Harry and Carlisle had both seen two immortal children before. Aro was always curious and he had been watching them, he had created them, in Volterra, they were contained by the Volturi.

The two toddlers had been absolutely adorable, the sweetest looking children Harry had ever seen and they could be so endearingly childlike at times too. But when they were angry they were dangerous.

Their temper tantrums could destroy entire villages and towns of humans. They had all the vampire strength and thirst with a young child's underdeveloped emotions and primal ways of expressing them.

The Volturi had ruled them too volatile.

The Volturi had just been waiting for an excuse to cull the Cullens and here was a perfect one, except Renesmee was not an immortal child, she grew (and grew worryingly swift) and she was extremely sweet tempered. If she ever did throw a tantrum there was more than enough vampires to halt her and they kept away from humans (apart from Charlie and she hadn't bitten him).

Alice had had a vision and there wasn't much time, she had seen Irina going to the Volturi and then the Volturi coming to Forks, all of the Volturi.

Carlisle and Harry split up, Carlisle to find vampires that he had met over the years and was friendly with and Harry to find his friends and the others who had been bitten when he was, they owed him a favour and he was coming to collect.

Everyone of the Cullens (apart from Bella, Edward and Renesmee) were out searching for vampires to stand as witness, to halt the Volturi so they would listen to the truth instead of just killing them all.

The tricky bit was convincing people that Renesmee was not an immortal child but one that lived and breathed, had a heart beat and grew. They weren't asking people to fight for them, just stand as witness, if it came to a fight with the Volturi then the Cullens weren't going to force their friends and acquaintances to fight. They were hoping to gather up enough witnesses that the Volturi paused and actually listened to their story instead of just killing them without a trial.

Harry tracked down Severus, Ron and Hermione pretty quickly; all three packed up some clothes and left immediately after feeding.

Apparently Luna had turned up randomly surprising Edward and Bella as she didn't need convincing, she just entered the house like she owned it and pilfered Harry's books. Harry had laughed when Edward phoned him with that particular titbit. Luna always knew more than she realistically should.

Harry sighed, now came the hard part. He had to track down people he hadn't seen in over a 100 years in some cases; he had no idea if they were even still in Britain. At least he had the point-me spell adjusted to point to the person Harry was attempting to find and not North.

Draco was the first Harry found and while Draco's comments were snide he seemed to genuinely want to help to at the very least repay his debt. Harry had a sneaking suspicion Draco would come whether he owed Harry or not. Harry had in his human life made sure Draco and Narcissa didn't go to prison, he had testified at their trial that they had both saved his life and were essential to the war effort. And then as a vampire Luna, Neville and Ginny had spirited all the turning vampires to one of Harry's well warded houses (preventing them from being killed by the ministry before they were turned) and then Harry had worked to get them to control their bloodlust, he had helped them cover for more than a few slips and made sure they didn't kill their families by accident.

Many of the vampires turned at the party for war survivors owed their lives to Harry.

Harry thought nothing of it, he was only helping (and protecting innocent human lives) but to save his family he would call in these debts.

Draco had also promised to contact various vampires he knew that had been turned at a different time to the party.

Harry had proceeded to track down Seamus Finnegan, Dennis Creevey, Anthony Goldstein, Oliver Wood, Susan Bones, Astoria Greengrass, Micheal Corner, Sally-Ann Perks, Elizabeth Flint, Penelope Clearwater and Katie Bell.

He couldn't find Blaise Zabini or one or two others and the others, apart from one, all agreed to stand witness and made their way to Forks.

Soon Harry had to give up and he too returned to Forks, he was the last Cullen back. Alice and Jasper had disappeared before they began to search for vampires and Harry wondered if things were really so bleak that Alice had left to save her and Jasper's lives.

Harry was sorry not to see them but he didn't hold them leaving against them, they didn't have to stay.

Harry was shocked to say the least at the amount of vampires congregating the house.

Despite the imminent threat hanging over their heads Harry couldn't help but be pleased at seeing so many of his old friends again. He spent time flitting from vampire to vampire catching up with them, exchanging banter...the usual.

He had allowed Severus to camp out in his room; the man hated social gatherings of any type and there were a lot of vampires. Severus happily (well as happy as the man could get) lost himself inside some of Harry's rare tomes he hadn't yet got round to reading. He did seem pleased however to chat to Draco, who was his godson, again.

Draco had brought with him two other vampires. One of them was Theodore Nott Jr. the son of the man Harry had been involved with. Theodore Nott Jr. had been in Harry's year at Hogwarts and his father had been eighteen years older than them.

Theodore Jr. seemed to intensely dislike Harry and Harry was sure it was because of his father's death at the hands (or paws) of the shifter a few months ago. Theodore Jr. had never really been keen on Harry, ignoring him when he was in the same room as him when they were human. Harry had been distantly polite to Theodore Jr. when he had been consorting with his father, it was an awkward situation, a year mate in a relationship with your father, so Harry had left Theodore Jr. alone.

Harry kept out of Theodore Jr. way now as much as he could. He hadn't killed Theodore Sr. but he could be partially blamed, seeing as Theodore Sr. had been toying with Harry at the time.

Harry also spent time with his family as well as friends, it could be their last time together alive after all and he loved them dearly.

The shape-shifters had also agreed to help, to stand witness then to fight.

Sam and Jacob's pack had reached an accord when Jacob had imprinted on Renesmee. No shape-shifter would ever harm or think to kill another's imprint as it would destroy the wolf. Jacob had imprinted on Renesmee when Bella was turning into a vampire. Harry found the imprinting a little odd but he supposed it was sweet.

The shape-shifters all had a...soul mate if you will and they were tied irrevocably to them for life when the saw them even once. The shape-shifters could meet their imprint when the other was a small child or when they were old (or even never), it didn't matter but there was nothing sexual about it when they met their imprint if the imprint was underage.

(Edward could read Jacob's thoughts so he was doubly sure of this.)

If like Quil Ateara or Jacob they imprinted when their soul-mate was a child then they are nothing more than brothers, siblings as the child grows, then to friends, then when the child was an adult it _could_ lead to a relationship, lovers. It was rare for the imprintee to refuse the imprinter because they were perfectly matched, why deny someone that completes you?

Jacob's world was now Renesmee, he was tethered to her for their entire life.

Harry found the lack of choice, of control disconcerting but he couldn't deny how happy the imprinted couples seemed. And he supposed it was a little like falling in love, you didn't choose the people you fell in love with; you can't force love.

Harry smiled watching the sun, hidden by the clouds mostly. His smile deepened as he felt a familiar presence at his back, wrapping familiar soothing arms around him. Harry hummed as Carlisle placed a kiss on his neck in greeting before also watching the clouds.

After a while (Harry didn't know how long they stood their doing nothing but basking in the meagre sunlight and each other's presence) Carlisle tugged Harry around placing a firm kiss on his lips.

A derogatory snort had them parting and turning to the maker of the noise.

"So you got tired of being father-dearest's whore." Theodore Jr. sneered. Harry rose an unimpressed eyebrow, he had heard far worse and he could take insults to himself, it was insults to his family and friends he reacted to.

Theodore Jr. snorted again at Harry's lack of reaction and strode away, retreating, when he met the glares from Edward, Jacob, Seth, Bella and Rosalie who were all outside too with Renesmee enjoying the rare sunlight. Carlisle pulled Harry closer.

"He shouldn't have said that." Jacob muttered kicking at the dirt. Harry smiled; he could count Jacob and Seth as his friends now, especially since Nessie was born.

"It was true. Don't bother getting upset with the truth." Harry said softly.

"You're not a whore though, you're really nice." Seth said earnestly. Harry chuckled.

"You can be both, Seth. I might not be now, since I am married happily to Carlisle, but it was true when I consorted with his father. I was Theodore Sr.'s whore, his toy. It was a little more classy than paying a common prostitute, he courted me, brought gifts, took me for meals etcetera I was there because I wanted to be not for payment and now it would be like dating but he was married then and it was the 1800's. I was a whore by technicality." Harry explained quietly.

"I was wealthy enough to get away with it." Harry added, he hadn't been scorned as such, more sniffed at and rather sharp comments sent his way. He was a source of rather scandalous gossip for the higher society, he hadn't cared at the time, he had been happy with Theodore Sr., he had believed he was in love and was loved in return. He had been duped masterfully.

The others looked a little shocked by Harry's words so Harry smiled cheekily.

"Don't worry, Carlisle and I were married before we did anything." Harry said smothering his embarrassment as he attempted to distract them.

"How? I mean...two men couldn't marry in the 1800s, could they?" Seth asked a little awkwardly. Harry scowled and looked at the ground while Carlisle chuckled.

"Meet Harriet, my wife." Carlisle grinned. Harry elbowed him and sniffed.

"I hate dresses and I loathe corsets. I had to pretend to be the woman because Carlisle's shoulders are much too broad." Harry explained. Edward grinned at the pictures from Carlisle's memories and Jacob and Seth burst out laughing. Bella smiled in amusement, Nessie asleep in her arms.

xxx

Harry stood next to Carlisle as they waited with everyone else in the clearing for the Volturi.

The amount of vampires near to the Reservation had caused a boom of shifters transforming.

There were sixteen wolves now, much more than there had ever been. It was both a little awe inspiring a slightly saddening because they didn't have a choice in it, either they shifted or they didn't but the gene in the Quileute's only showed when there were vampires nearby.

Most seemed to actually like the change though, it was only really Sam, Jacob and Leah who hadn't liked it.

Harry's eyes widened as he caught sight of the Volturi and the vampires they had brought with them. It seemed the Volturi too had brought witnesses. The entire Volturi had appeared; even the wives and they never left Volterra!

"Potter?!" A voice called from the Volturi side and Harry looked over before grinning at Blaise Zabini.

"Zabini." Harry nodded.

"I'm not staying over here; Potter's insufferable luck always wins any infraction or battle he enters." Blaise commented walking over to the Cullen side with a female vampire who had silvery blonde hair and who could rival Rosalie with her impossible beauty.

"This is Victorie Weasley, daughter of Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacour, my wife, Nice to see you again by the way." Blaise said chattily ignoring the tension that filled the clearing.

"Nice to see you again too, Blaise and nice to meet you Mrs Zabini." Harry greeted with a warm smile, it was nice to see a child of Bill's and Fleur's. Bill and Fleur had both passed away more than 100 years ago.

...

It didn't come to a fight, thankfully. Once the Volturi were shown proof that Renesmee was growing and not an immortal child they changed tracks and Aro pointed out that since there had never been a child like Renesmee they didn't know what threat she might pose in the future.

Each side had been ready to fight when Alice entered with Jasper and an unknown male who looked like a vampire but had an odd heart beat and an unknown female vampire.

The unknown male was just like Nessie, he had been born of a vampire man and a human woman and he had stopped aging when he reached the equivalent of eighteen (which took seven years), in a way half vampires were better than vampires, they could fit in with humans far more easily.

The Volturi didn't really have a leg to stand on after that so they left.

Harry felt that they would be back one day to eradicate them for the embarrassment the Cullens caused them. It was not a pleasant thought but at least they had made a lot more friends with vampires they hadn't met before and Nessie was adored by so many that Harry was sure they would come if the Cullens needed them again and fight against the Volturi.

Harry hoped it wouldn't be for many more centuries.

...

Harry settled next to Jasper and Carlisle on a sofa in the house. He had one hand on Jasper the other on Carlisle, he was so happy to see Jasper and Alice again. They had had the hardest job, Alice had had to search for someone she couldn't see in her visions, she couldn't see the shifters or half vampires because she had never been one.

Harry was just glad to have them back although he was incredibly proud of Alice and Jasper, they had saved them today. Bella's shield too had helped. Edward had never been able to read Bella's thoughts (neither could Aro), her mind had been protected and she had managed to learn how to stretch this protection to encompass the entire group of people standing witness for the Cullens.

The Volturi relied on Alec's gift of sending everyone into a daze, where they couldn't see, couldn't smell, couldn't think...Alec's gift could be used against groups and while utterly defenceless the Volturi would kill them all. But Bella had protected them all with her shield so the Volturi couldn't rely on this method. The Volturi had lost their main advantage due to Bella.

Harry leaned against Carlisle as most vampires drifted away; the shifters had already left to return to the Reservation.

Harry's friends had left quite quickly, not many vampires really like socialising with big groups like humans seemed to. Vampires were more insular, liking a select few people and being rather possessive of them.

Harry was a little sad to see them go but he grinned when he realised Luna was going to stay for a visit and that Severus was once again deep in a rare thick tome in Harry's personal library.

Carlisle pressed an absent kiss to his forehead and Harry smiled. He was surrounded by his family, everyone was alive and well, he couldn't be happier in this perfect moment with everyone's emotions in sync, harmonious.


End file.
